Naruto: Bonds of Fate
by IAmRoxas
Summary: All Ichigo ever dreamed of was becoming a recognized ninja of the Village Hidden in the Leaves. It wasn't nearly as easy as she had hoped, not with the heads of the village watching her every move due to her clan's past mistakes and all of her peers treating her as an outcast. Yet, with the help of a fellow outsider, Ichigo lands herself on a true ninja squad.
1. Foreword

Ichigo nervously shifted from one foot to the other as she pulled her long hair into pigtails, her silver eyes flitting around the bathroom and unwilling to focus on her own face. Today was the Ninja Academy graduation exam, and though she had been practicing all the skills she could think of for weeks, she was still nervous. She had no idea what she would be tested on, and that unnerved her a great deal. She sighed heavily and turned to gaze into the mirror, taking in her appearance. A simple light blue half-shirt with her clan's symbol, a crescent moon, gleaming white on the back. The typical ninja battle shirt underneath. The pair of dark blue pants paired with sandals. The pouch of kunai and other essentials strapped to her right leg. She certainly looked like a young ninja, but she didn't feel like one.

Ichigo jumped as there came a gentle knock on the bathroom door, and she turned as her father stepped into the small bathroom.

"Don't be nervous. You'll do just fine," the red-haired man smiled, and she hugged him around his waist, momentarily cured of her anxiety. "Hurry now, or you'll be late!" he laughed before sending her on her way. Ichigo ran out of the house, her heart pounding with excitement as she rushed to the school house.

 _I will pass! I_ _ **must**_ _pass! I will prove myself to them all and become the greatest ninja that the Hidden Leaf has ever seen!_

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto, nor the characters that appear within- only my OCs and non-canon events. These rights belong to Masashi Kishimoto.


	2. Chapter 1: I Want to be A Ninja!

**AUTHOR'S NOTE** **:** Hello everyone! For those of you who are returning readers, I have decided to remake this story from the ground-up, having found my previous version not very much to my liking. I hope the updated version is good for your guys, and be sure to tell me what you think in the reviews! Thank you for reading!

Ichigo slowed to a walk as she neared the school house, catching her breath as she made her way through the yard and into the building. Many of the students had gathered there already, and were chatting idly to themselves as they waited for the exam to begin. None of them took much notice as she hopped up the stairs and settled herself into her seat, flipping out a textbook to do some last-minute studying. She blinked when a shadow fell over her head, and she glanced up to see one of her classmates leaning over her, a disinterested look on his face and his hands in his pants pockets.

"Shikamaru," she addressed him politely, flipping her book closed and turning around to face him.

"Nose in a book as ever, I see," he smirked, sitting down in his seat and propping his feet up on the desk. He leaned back, placing his hands behind his head and staring levelly at her. "I don't see why you're making such a big deal out of this exam. It's all a big drag, anyway. I mean, if you pass, you pass, but if you don't, you don't."

"Easy for you to say, Shikamaru," came a low groan from beside him. Ichigo glanced over to see Choji munching away anxiously on a bag of chips, sweating slightly as he fretted. "My dad will kill me if I fail!" The two friends continued to bicker slightly over the exam as Ichigo turned back to face the front. She cried out as someone tugged hard on her left ponytail, and as she whipped around to see who had assaulted her, she saw a group of giggling girls run back to their seats. Blushing slightly in annoyance, she tenderly rubbed her head.

Ichigo had never really been "popular." Most of her classmates tolerated her, like Shikamaru did, but a great deal many of her class harbored the same resentment for her as much of the rest of the village did for her father. Not that either of them had ever done anything wrong; in fact, much of the hatred was a product of events that happened many years before Ichigo was born. He had refused to tell her about them, and so she was left to deal with the torment on her own. It was quite lonely sometimes, and often led to instances like the girls pulling her pigtails. Not to mention her brilliant white hair and pale skin, an anomaly even in her own clan, stuck out like a sore thumb, and she had been called every name from "Snow White" to "Ghostie."

"Ignore them," came a sympathetic voice from across the stairs. It came from Sakura, the pink-haired kunoichi who was well-known for her intellect. Of all her classmates, Ichigo got along with her best, sharing a keen mind and healthy curiosity with the girl. Ichigo smiled slightly at her, but the girl became instantly distracted when a dark-haired, moody boy plopped down beside her. "Oh, Sasuke~! Are you ready for the exam? I am!" Sakura squealed happily, swooning over him. Ichigo had never understood why the girls were so infatuated with him; although he was attractive, his perpetually foul attitude was enough to foster disinterest.

Soon enough, the classroom was filled with students and chatter. Everyone fell silent, however, as their teacher Iruka strode into the classroom and stopped in front of the desk, crossing his arms.

"All right, students. To graduate today, you will have to perform the Clone Technique," he informed. There were collective groans from across the room, the loudest coming from the yellow-haired boy that sat next to Sakura- Naruto. He was famously bad at that technique, and Ichigo felt sorry for him, as she knew that he had attempted the graduation exam three times. Before she could offer encouragement, however, they were arranged into a line outside the examination room, and all were silent as they awaited their turn. Finally, Ichigo's came, and she drew a deep breath as she stepped into the room and closed the door behind her. She walked across the wooden floor, stopping a few feet away from the table stacked with Genin headbands, the metal with the leaf symbol etched into it gleaming brightly against the soft blue cloth. Behind the table sat Iruka, smiling encouragingly, and another teacher she recognized as Mizuki, who was sitting there silently.

Ichigo took a deep breath before clapping her hands together, forming the appropriate sign and focusing her chakra. There was a small _poof_ as a perfect clone formed beside her, and blushing with happiness, she couldn't help but cry out in joy at her accomplishment.

"Good job, Ichigo," Iruka smiled. "You pass." As the clone vanished and she skipped over to the table to claim her headband, however, one of the doors was thrown open and an unfamiliar ninja bowed, rushed over to the table, and whispered something into Iruka's ear. "What? That's preposterous! By who's order?" he exclaimed angrily. The man whispered something else, and Iruka sighed in resignation and nodded sadly. The man exited the room hurriedly, and the confused young ninja looked at her teacher in shock as he pulled the headband back.

"I don't understand," she cried. "I passed the test. Why aren't you giving me my headband?"

"I'm sorry, Ichigo. This is out of my hands," Iruka sighed. "The Council has decided that you will not be able to pass your graduation test and promoted to a Genin. Even more so, you're prohibited from re-attending the Ninja Academy." Ichigo's blood turned to ice, and her bottom lip quivered as she began to cry.

"I don't understand!" she wailed. "What did I do wrong? I'll fix it! I promise! Please, I just want to be a ninja!" she sobbed, burying her face into her hands. It was in this moment that her father came through the door, obviously summoned by the Council to retrieve her, and with an anguished wail she ran over to him and threw her arms around him, burying her face into his stomach as she sobbed heavily. "Daddy, they won't let me be a ninja. Why won't they let me be a ninja?" she cried as he gently picked his daughter up and carried her out of the school. All of her other classmates who had passed were gathered outside, being showered with praise by her parents, but Ichigo was too lost in her own despair to notice the confused stares and contempt-filled glances as her father carried her home.

After she had calmed down, her father sat her down at the kitchen table with a heavy sigh.

"I'm sorry, Ichigo. I never meant for this to happen," he sighed, running a hand over his face. He looked much older than she had ever seen him before, with stark lines etched into his features and tired, tired eyes. "I tried to protect you from the prejudice against our clan, and I hoped that as an innocent the Council would not take action against you- but I was wrong."

"Why did they do this to me?" she whispered.

"There are a lot of reasons, but I suppose that I should start at the beginning," he frowned and leaned back in his chair. "You see, Ichigo, our clan was once a well-respected, very powerful one. The Tsukihana were one of the first to ally with the fledgling village, and performed admirably in the Great Ninja Wars, earning much recognition. However, as time went on, our clan grew resentful. They wanted to have more power, to take over the village and become its rulers and govern as they saw fit. They waited, harboring their hate, until forty years ago. They arranged a coup d'état and attempted to take over the village, failing miserably. All who participated in the rebellion were defeated and imprisoned, but those who did not were forced into exile on the outskirts of the village to prevent further instances, and to be watched. My father- your grandfather- was the only one who remained in the village, but many people still resented him only for his name."

"That's unfair," Ichigo murmured quietly. "What does that have to do with me, though? You became a Jonin, and even joined the Black Ops!"

"Yes, I did- before I met your mother," he agreed quietly. Ichigo felt a pit form in her stomach. She didn't remember her mother, as she had left just after she was born, leaving her father all alone to raise her. She had never been told why her mother had vanished, but she had the feeling that she was about to learn. "You see, Ichigo… Your mother ran away to join a secret faction of our clan that was plotting another rebellion. They never caught them, and they fear that your mother may try to use you against the village." In that moment, she felt an intense rage flare inside of her, and she jumped out of the chair as she turned red with anger.

"That isn't fair! They can't punish me for something I _may_ do! I love my village, and I would never do anything to hurt it! I've always wanted to be a ninja; they can't take that from me!" she yelled as she quaked with fury. Her father stood and rested his hands on her shoulders, and she felt the anger dissipate and become a painful sadness.

"I know. I am going to try to fight this, my dear. Just be patient," he told her and wrapped her in a hug. That night, as she laid awake brooding over the miserable outcome of the day, she continuously told herself that she would remain patient and that everything would work out. However, three days passed, and her father's desperate arguments to the Council yielded no results. With nothing to do, Ichigo simply wandered the dirt streets of the village under she found herself in a child's park. Her father had brought her there many times, and she smiled slightly as she sat down on the metal swing, reminiscing of better days. She wrapped her hands tightly around the chain links, swaying back and forth as she stared at the ground.

"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be training?" called a familiar voice. She glanced up to see Naruto climbing over the fence, glancing over his shoulder as if he had just escaped from someone. He ran over to the swing and plopped down in the one beside her, giggling to himself. "I just gave my sensei the slip. He's such a moron! All he does is read pervy books, and he's late all the time!" he grumbled and crossed his arms. "Plus, that jerk Sasuke is on my team, and I've had about as much of him as I can handle. Plus, all Sakura does is fawn over him, even when we're training! I don't get it!" he cried, throwing his arms in the air with an exasperated cry. Even though he sounded bitter, he was smiling broadly, as if he was enjoying the dysfunctionality of his team; the thought made her smile sadly. _At least one of us misfits passed,_ she thought, jumping when he nudged her with his elbow. "So who did you end up with, anyway?"

"I… Didn't end up with anyone," she answered quietly, looking away in shame.

"You failed? But you're like, super smart!" he gasped. Ichigo shook her head with a sniffle.

"No… They barred me from becoming a ninja," she sighed. Naruto jumped to his feet, his blue eyes wide as he stared at her in shock.

"They can do that? Why would they?" he frowned.

"Because of things my clan did," she pouted. Naruto crossed his arms with a huff.

"That's the dumbest thing that I've ever heard. If I were you, I would march right into the Hokage's office and complain!" he snorted, tossing his head. He then cringed as a shrill, furious voice yelled his name from beyond the fence, and they both turned to see an angry Sakura stomping across the playground. Naruto hastily bade farewell and took off across the grass only to run straight into a tall, silver-haired ninja with his headband slung across his eye. The man grabbed Naruto by the back of the collar, lifting the boy clear off the ground.

"There you are, Naruto," he sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. Sasuke was leaning against a tree, looking unimpressed as his comrade squirmed in their mentor's grip. "No more running for you. Let's get back to training," the man sighed, and Ichigo watched as the group made their departure from the park. Her mind, however, was turning over the last thing that Naruto had said, and a big smile formed on her lips as she took off out of the park, running towards the center of the village.


	3. Chapter 2: A Desperate Plea

Ichigo kept her back as straight as possible, trying her best to look dignified and important as she was escorted down the halls of the Hokage's residence. Upon entering the building, she had been stopped by a Jonin attendant, and after much insistence she was finally permitted to have an audience with the ninja official. As she plodded along, struggling to keep up with the man's long strides, she continuously rehearsed her plea in her mind. However, when the Jonin opened the door and allowed her to step inside the office, all words left her. The door closed with a resounding click.

The Third Hokage glanced up from his desk, his intelligent eyes regarding her calmly. His desk was stacked with papers, and she felt slightly bad for bothering him, as he seemed very busy. He simply slid aside the document that he had been perusing and clasped his hands together before him, a small smile forming on his old, wise face.

"Ah, Ichigo. I presume that you are here concerning your Ninja Academy Graduation exam," he presumed. The girl nodded quietly and approached the desk. She bit down on her bottom lip as she carefully considered what she was going to say, but the old ninja rose from his seat before she could speak. "I am sorry, but I am afraid that there is little I can do about this situation. I spoke on your behalf, as have your father and your teacher Iruka, but we have been unable to make the rest of the Council change their minds." Upon hearing this revelation, Ichigo sniffled and lowered her head.

"It isn't fair, Lord Third. It was my _dream_ to be a ninja. It still is," she whispered sadly. The old man walked around the desk to stand in front of her, smiling sadly as he placed a hand gently on her shoulder.

"Ichigo," he said suddenly. "Take a walk with me." Without waiting for an answer, he brushed past her and exited the room; confused but unable to refuse, Ichigo hurried after him, her pigtails swishing as she ran down the hallway to catch up with the surprisingly fast old-timer. He kept his hands clasped behind his back as he shuffled along, staring straight ahead with a look of quiet contemplation on his face. He led her out of the central building and down the dirt roads of the Hidden Leaf. Ichigo was unsure just why he had suddenly decided to go on an afternoon walk when they had been discussing something that would literally change Ichigo's life, but she supposed that he had arrived to his position somehow, and that whatever he was up to had a very good reason behind it. However, he remained completely silent as they plodded along, and so out of boredom she began to observe the scenery.

They had wandered into the market district. A large crowd of people, both civilian and ninja alike, were walking along the storefronts and attending to their errands. She saw children gathered around a candy-selling booth, squealing in happiness as they stuffed their little faces with sweets. On the other side of the street, a senior ninja closely examined a kunai knife before smiling and shaking the dealer's hand. Grocers shouted at passersby to advertise new deals. Outside of a flower shop, a young male ninja surprised his girlfriend with a bouquet of colorful roses. Despite all the clamoring noise, the atmosphere was undeniably peaceful. "This is our home, Ichigo," the Hokage said suddenly, causing the young girl to jump and glance up at him. "All of this is a ninja's sworn duty to protect, and lay down his or her life, if need be."

"Yes, I understand that, Lord Hokage," Ichigo blinked. As she pondered the strange comment, she noticed that many of the shoppers were giving her a wide berth. They bowed in reverence to the Hokage, but when they glanced at her, their gazes were full of contempt. She frowned slightly and trained her gaze on her feet, her face growing hot with embarrassment.

"Your clan and family has garnered quite the reputation," Lord Third added as they continued along. "Many of the villagers would not appreciate the sacrifice you would make as a ninja, Ichigo. Would you still serve them, and lay down your life if need be?" he inquired. Ichigo was struck silent by the question, having not expecting such a heavily loaded inquiry.

Without hesitation, she nodded firmly.

"Of course, I would. That is my duty, as a ninja. There is no other way to prove my worth than serving my village," she responded confidently, and the hint of a smile form on the old man's lips. "If they hate me now, then so be it. There will come a day when that changes. I'm going to be a ninja that they can be proud of. I'm going to be a ninja that the _Hidden Leaf_ can be proud of." Chuckling softly, the Hokage reached out to gently place a hand on the top of her head.

"That is exactly the response I thought I would get," he mused. "I will try once more to appeal to the Council. This time, _you_ will plead your case to them. I am sure that if you remain faithful to your conviction, they will have no choice but to grant you Genin status," he assured. In her happiness, Ichigo sprang forward to hug the old man.

"Thank you, Lord Third! I promise that I won't let you down!" she cried. The Hokage laughed and patted her on the back, his eyes twinkling slightly.

That very day, Ichigo stood before the Council to plead her case. Her destiny was on the line. She stood before the four of them, all elders seated at a round table in an otherwise empty room, three men and a woman. One was the Hokage himself; he smiled reassuringly at her from his seat. Two others were an old man and woman, both frowning slightly at her, and the last was an intimidating man with half of his body swathed in bandages. Suddenly intimidated, the young girl swallowed anxiously as she contemplated how to begin her address.

"HIrozen," yawned the bandage-wrapped man, glaring hard at the Hokage. "Why is this girl here? I thought that we had been clear with our final decision," he growled. "She cannot be trusted. As the leader of the Anbu Black Ops, the village's defense is my utmost priority. She is far too much of a risk."

"Considering that it is Ichigo's future that we are affecting, I thought we should at least give her the opportunity to speak her mind, Danzo," the Hokage refuted calmly. Snorting with discontent, Danzo merely crossed his arms and leaned back in his seat. Ichigo swallowed as the eight eyes turned on her, and she took a deep breath to calm her nerves. _Just tell them the truth._

"My name is Ichigo Tsukihana. My father is Ichiru Tsukihana, a reknowned Jonin and Black Ops member. I aim to follow in his footsteps and become an established ninja of the Hidden Leaf," she announced, her gaze sweeping across the group of elders as her confidence grew. "I have become aware of your hesitations concerning my mother," she continued carefully. "I have had no contact with my mother since she left. I have no knowledge of where she is or her plans. I don't know if she will attempt to convince me to join her cause." Danzo smirked slightly, taking her address as proof to his cause; however, he straightened up slightly when the girl continued to speak. "It's true that there is no love lost between myself and the people who calls this village home. It's true that my mother will someday attack the village. However, it is also completely, absolutely, _positively_ true that if that day comes, then no amount of rebel Tsukihana will coerce me into standing against my home." Ichigo's silver eyes blazed brightly as her voice rose in pitch. "You can subject me to every kind of ninjutsu, taijutsu, and genjutsu that exists. You can take everyone and everything that I love from me- but there is nothing, absolutely _nothing_ , that will ever make me betray the Hidden Leaf. It is my home. I exist to protect and serve it, regardless of what you all may think of me and my clan. Even if you refuse me today, nothing will keep me from training day after day- and when the time comes when I am needed, you had best believe that I will rise to my village's defense, whether I have a headband or not. I am a ninja in my _heart_ \- and nothing will ever change that." Ichigo released a breath when she finished her speech, and she hastily bowed her head to the esteemed elders. "Thank you for allowing me to speak with you today. I hope that I have proven my worth."

The Hokage smiled brightly down at her from his seat at the table, but for a very long while, there was a pervading silence as the Council deliberated. Ichigo found her heart rate accelerating and a cold sweat breaking out over her skin as her anxiety skyrocketed. _Did it not work? Was I too rude in my desperation? Was there anything else I could have said to make my argument stronger?_ she fretted.

"We thank you for your appeal, Tsukihana," the elder woman suddenly announced, and Ichigo snapped to attention. "It seems that our desire to protect our village has caused us to become blind, and deprive the Hidden Leaf of a motivated, passionate young kunoichi." Ichigo could not keep a large smile from forming on her lips. "I vote that we designate young Ichigo as a Genin and allow her to train alongside her classmates."

"I agree," her partner nodded in agreement. "After all, we have no distinct proof that Nanami Tsukihana has made any attempt to reach out to her daughter- and if such a thing should occur, I have full faith that her efforts will fall drastically short."

"I also vote that Ichigo be promoted," the Third Hokage nodded, winking at the young girl. Ichigo's fingers twiddled in excitement and her heart skipped a beat. Even if Danzo disagreed, it would not matter- he was overruled by three votes. Danzo seemed to recognize this, and he huffed in exasperation.

"I think you are making a mistake," he mumbled bitterly. "Besides, all the Genin squads are filled. Who would deliberately take on a fourth student?"

"Don't you worry about that, Danzo," Lord Third grinned with sparkling eyes. "I have that taken care of."

The next day, Ichigo stood on the bridge constructed above the small river that cut through town. She wore her usual garb- the light blue half-shirt with her family crest, the crescent moon, gleaming white on the back; the ninja battle shirt beneath; and the dark blue pants and sandals. As usual, her long white hair was tied into pigtails the swung about her waist. Attached to her right leg was a pouch containing kunai and scrolls. Tied around her forehead was a ninja headband, the silver plate etched with the leaf symbol gleaming in the sunlight. _I'm a ninja,_ she thought giddily. _I'm about to meet my mentor and team!_

"Heyyyyyyy!" shouted a very familiar voice, and Ichigo turned to find Naruto sprinting over the bridge. He grinned excitedly as he skidded to a halt in front of her, poking at her headband. "You got them to pass you! I knew you could! _And_ you have Konoha's number-one ninja on your team! How lucky are you?" he grinned stupidly.

"Number-one ninja, huh? Is that self-designated?" Sakura sniffed with a small smile, standing with her arms crossed beside an ever-moody Sasuke.

"Don't slow us down," the dark-haired boy muttered, looking away with a huff.

"Now, now, Sasuke. You should be a bit nicer to your new teammate," scolded the silver-haired man from the park. He raised a hand in greeting, and Ichigo could tell that he was smiling beneath the mask that covered the lower half of his face. "Nice to meet you. I'm Kakashi Hatake, and I'll be your mentor from now on." Ichigo bowed hastily.

"I can't thank you enough for taking me on as an extra student. I promise, I'll work super hard!" she promised.

"Sensei! Ask her the questions, ask her the questions!" Naruto cried, pointing emphatically at Ichigo.

"Ah, yes. I asked these three, so I suppose it's fair to ask you as well. Tell me about yourself- likes and dislikes, hobbies, your dream," Kakashi suggested as he crossed his arms. Ichigo cocked her head to the side in thought as her teammates patiently awaited her answer.

"I like stargazing and sweets. I dislike spicy food. My hobbies include reading and training," she answered. "My dream… Is to go down in history as one of the greatest ninjas in Konoha history, and clear my clan's name!" she cried confidently. Her eyes were afire with determination.

"Whoa! That sounds awesome!" Naruto shouted, nearly jumping with excitement. "I'm gonna be an awesosme ninja too- I'm gonna be the Hokage!"

"Dream on, Naruto," Sakura sighed as she shook her head. Ichigo giggled as the three of her teammates began to bicker, and poor Kakashi-sensei attempted to calm them. _Today begins my very first day as a true ninja,_ she thought. _Let's all work hard for our dreams!_

At that time, Ichigo had absolutely no idea how hard the road to accomplishing her dream would be.


	4. Chapter 3: The Battle Royale!

Ichigo couldn't help but grin stupidly as she admired herself in her vanity mirror, her eyes trained on the gleaming headband tied around her forehead. It had been three days since she had passed her graduation exam by appealing the decision to the Council, and those three days had been filled with intense training and exciting missions, but every time she looked at her reflection it still felt like her first day. _I'm a ninja,_ she thought giddily, then gasped as she glanced at the time.

"I'm going to be late!" she exclaimed and hurriedly began trying to force her sandals on her feet. As she rolled around on the wooden floorboards, struggling to get the last bit of her shoe on, she gasped as the door to her bedroom opened slowly. "Oh! Hello, Father!" she blushed in embarrassment and hurriedly zipped into a proper sitting position. Her sandal slid uselessly off her foot, causing her to blush further. The young Jonin merely gasped and crossed the room, carrying a thin package wrapped in thick cloth. His red hair, usually tied neatly behind his head in a thin ponytail, was filled with flyaways, and Ichigo was certain that he had been in a frenzy searching for this strange gift. In the Tsukihana clan, it was customary to keep long hair (in fact, they only cut it for very specific reasons) and they took great pride in it. Ichigo knew that this strange artifact must be very important for him to come in so flustered.

"I wanted to give this to you before you left," he smiled breathlessly, crouching down in front of her and gently removing the cloth. Beneath it lay a sheathed ninja blade, with a hilt wrapped in rich purple leather. Ichigo's silver eyes widened with wonder as she delicately took the blade and unsheathed it, revealing a gleaming silver sword. The light caught on its edge, makingit glow with an ethereal quality. It was beautiful. "It was my father's," he smiled proudly. "Now that you are a Genin, it is being passed on to you. Normally, you would have your own sword forged, but since we aren't part of the clan anymore, this is the best I can do. I hope you will use it," he sighed guiltily. Ichigo snapped the sword back in its sheath and threw her arms around her father happily.

"Thank you, Father! I love it, and I will make good use of it. The Tsukihana are swordsmen, after all! It wouldn't be right for me to reject it!" she exclaimed happily before securing it to her back. She stood and crammed on her shoe, giving her father one last kiss on the cheek before dashing out the door. "Sorry, I have to run! Kakashi-sensei will get on to me if I'm late!" she called behind her. Ichiru Tsukihana smiled after his daughter, but there was hesitation brooding in his heart. _I hope her mother stays clear of her…_

Ichigo ran full-speed to the meeting point, the training grounds out in the woods of the village. By the time she reached her teammates, who were lounging against the trees in boredom, she was nearly out of breath. "Morning," she panted as she collapsed against a tree trunk with a heavy exhale.

"I don't see why you ran here. Kakashi-sensei is late, as usual!" Naruto whined as he beat his feet against the ground in annoyance. "He probably won't be here for another two hours!" Sakura, observant as always, instantly spied the hilt of the sword peeking up above Ichigo's shoulder.

"What's that?" the pink-haired girl admired, pointing at the blade. Ichigo grinned and sat up, eager to explain her new possession to her team.

"It's a Tsukihana chakra blade," she beamed proudly, drawing the sword so they could all see. As they gathered around, Naruto "oohed" and "aahed" at the gleaming silver metal, Sakura stared at it in wonder, and even Sasuke looked fairly impressed with the craftsmanship. "See this groove here?" she asked, tracing her finger across the indentation that traveled from the tip of the blade to the hilt. "It's for harnessing chakra! Unfortunately, I don't know how to do it yet," she admitted bashfully. The three Genin looked a little disappointed that they wouldn't be getting a demonstration.

"Why bring it up if you don't know how to use it?" Sasuke scoffed and crossed his arms. Now disinterested, he looked off into the woods, searching for any sign of their mentor. Ichigo huffed and puffed out her cheeks, sheathing the blade. _My father just hasn't taught me yet, jerk!_ She thought angrily, and was about to stick out her tongue at him when Kakashi landed lightly on the edge of the clearing. He beamed brightly and raised his hand in greeting.

"You're late!" Sakura and Naruto cried in unison, pointing accusingly at the sensei. Ichigo was too busy trying to catch her breath to bother with his new excuse for the day, and she had more or less recovered when he crossed the clearing and stopped in front of her. She hopped to her feet instantly, blinking up at him. The other three had gathered around, awaiting their mentor's instructions.

"Good, now that you're all paying attention, I'm going to tell you what we're going to do today. Ichigo, I've had a chance to observe more or less what the others are capable of, but I have yet to see your skill set. Today, we're going to do some sparring- a battle royale, if you will. Whoever wins, I treat to ramen. How's that?" he suggested. Enticed by the thought out his favorite food, Naruto was instantly raring to go. He threw his hands in the air with an excited cry.

"All right! That's some motivation! Sorry, Ichigo, but you're going _down!"_ he grinned, pointing at her. Sakura looked slightly nervous, and Sasuke looked slightly annoyed.

"I don't care about ramen, but don't think that means I'm going to lose," he threatened her before stalking off to the side of the clearing. Kakashi sighed slightly, but did not attempt to retrieve him.

"All right, then. Sakura and Ichigo, why don't you go first? All of you will fight each other, and whoever comes out with the most victories wins. Deal?" he smiled before he and Naruto walked off to the edge of the clearing. Sakura and Ichigo took their places, standing directly across from each other with only a few feet separating them. Sakura held a kunai in her hand, her green eyes blazing determinedly, while Ichigo drew her brand-new blade. _Time to see what this can do,_ she thought with a grin. Kakashi gave the starting signal, and in an instant, she had closed the distance between her and Sakura, bringing the blade down. Sakura managed to block it with the kunai, but because she used both hands, her side was open to Ichigo's next attack. Without missing a beat, Ichigo's left leg rose in a savage kick to the girl's exposed side that sent her flying across the clearing. She landed in a heap at Sasuke's feet, dazed. Looking down at her with contempt, Sasuke merely crossed his arms. "Well, I guess that means Ichigo wins. Let's give them a break. Naruto and Sasuke, you're up next," he decided. Ichigo walked to the edge of the clearing where Sakura was pulling herself into a sitting position.

"I'm sorry, Sakura. I didn't mean to send you flying like that," she apologized sincerely. Honestly, she had thought the kunoichi would have put up more of a fight. "Did I hurt you badly?"

"No. My ego is a little bruised, though," she admitted as she watched the two boys begin their face-off. "You're stronger than me, no doubt about that. I just wished I hadn't been embarrassed like that in front of Sasuke," she sighed wistfully. By the time Ichigo turned her attention back to the fight, Naruto was on the ground, rubbing his head tenderly. Naturally, the talented Sasuke had beaten him. _Now there's someone I would love to face off against,_ she thought with the hint of a smirk as she eyes the dark-haired, dark-eyed brooding boy. Naruto came trudging back to the edge of the clearing, kicking the dirt angrily.

"Stupid Sasuke. I'll get him next time!" he swore before pointing angrily at Ichigo. "And you! Don't think I'm gonna let you get away with kicking Sakura like that!" he huffed.

"Good, because you fight her next, Naruto. Take your places," Kakashi called from his seat on the roots of a tree. He didn't seem to be paying much attention, as he was reading a book with quite the scandalous cover rather than watching the fights. Regardless, Ichigo took her place across from Naruto, her body poised to move. She knew that though he was wild, he was still in a whole other league than Sakura, and that she needed to focus hard on the fight ahead. _I have to win so I can fight Sasuke,_ she thought with a smirk. Kakashi gave the signal, and Naruto instantly charged at her, yelling incomprehensibly. Ichigo side-stepped his charge, ducking behind him and kicking his feet out from under him. As he fell he rolled away from her, and as she brought her blade down it sank into deep earth, right where Naruto was only moments ago. He sat up quickly and threw a kunai, hoping to get her while she was distracted, but she slapped her palm onto the hilt of the sword and flung herself into a momentary handstand, out of the knife's reach. Using her momentum, she pulled the sword from the earth before landing lightly on her feet, and pushed off from the ground to charge. She skidded to a halt, however, as Naruto weaved a few hand signs.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" he cried, and several more Narutos appeared. Ichigo stood her ground as she counted them. One, two, three, four, five, and six. It was a tricky technique, as she couldn't tell which was the real Naruto; they were not mere illusions, but solid clones. _Aren't you full of surprises?_ she thought, pumped at the challenge.

"You think your clones scare me?" she taunted as they sprang at her in unison. Ichigo dropped her body low, her eyes darting between each clone to see which would fall into her reach first. _That one,_ she grinned as her eyes fell on the copy to her left, and before he could grab the kunai from his pouch her elbow connected with his stomach. He vanished with a cloud of air, and Ichigo danced between the boy's copies, sending them flying one by one until her sword clashed with the kunai of the last Naruto- the real Naruto. He gritted his teeth as she pushed hard against him, then cried out and headbutted her. Their headbands smacked together with a clang, and Ichigo was sent reeling for a moment. She recovered, however, planting her feet in the earth as blood dribbled down her forehead. Naruto stared determinedly at her, his blue eyes flashing with confidence, but Ichigo would not back down. She took a deep breath, shutting out the sounds of the forest around her to concentrate solely on the ninja's movements.

She saw it, the subtle shift of his feet that told her he was going to jump. He leaped, kunai flashing as he bore down on her, but she had already rolled out of the way. She smacked the blunt side of her sword against his back, causing him to cry out and lose his balance in the air. He landed roughly on his face, but growled and kicked back at her as she approached. The blow caught her in the shin, and her leg buckled slightly beneath her. Her sword fell from her hand, but she gritted her teeth and swung as Naruto reared up to face her, arm also raised. Their blows connected at the same instant, their fists smashing into each other's jaws, and they both sailed across the clearing and landed roughly in the dirt. Ichigo spat blood onto the grass, her eyes flashing as she rose to her feet. Naruto rose across the clearing, and they were both panting. _Last blow. Last chance._

She took off in a sprint, her feet barely touching the grass as she swung down to retrieve her sword. Naruto tried to brace himself with a kunai, but Ichigo was on him immediately, crying out as she brought her sword down in an air-ripping arc. The kunai was knocked from his hands, embedding itself into the dirt, and Naruto fell back onto his behind. The tip of Ichigo's blade hovered at his neck as she stood over him, panting hard.

"All right, that's enough, Ichigo," Kakashi called. "You win." Ichigo slowly lowered her sword, then began to laugh and held out her hand for her comrade to take.

"You're tough, Naruto! I really had fun. You really could become Hokage someday, you know?" she mused as his hand clapped in hers. She pulled him to his feet, and he smirked at her and wiped blood from the corner of his mouth.

"Not if I can't beat you! This is a one-time thing! Believe it!" he promised. As she stared at him, she believed it. _He'll get stronger and stronger, to the point I'll be no match._ She felt it. Ichigo also felt an intense stare at her back, and when she turned, Sasuke's eyes were trained on her.

He looked _excited._

Ichigo smirked and planted her blade in the ground to watch the match between Sasuke and Sakura. _Just you and me, now… This will be interesting, Mr. Prodigy._


	5. Chapter 4: Ichigo Vs Sasuke!

Ichigo's fingers twitched with anticipation as she took her place across from Sasuke in the small clearing, the tiniest smirk on her lips as she gripped the hilt of her ninja sword so tightly that her knuckles were white. The dark-haired boy gazed evenly at her, showing not a hint of emotion on his face, but Ichigo could tell that he was roiling with eagerness inside, impatiently awaiting their sensei to give the permission to begin. The young kunoichi took a deep breath, clearing away all her thoughts to focus solely on the battle ahead. In all honesty, she wasn't sure if she could defeat him- but she wasn't going to go down without one hell of a fight.

"All right," Kakashi called as he turned the page in his book. "You may begin. Try not to kill each other, please," he added as an afterthought as the two Genin dashed toward one another with lightning speed. Sparks flashed as steel met steel; Sasuke's kunai clashed against her ninja blade, and her glared icily at her when he realized she had stopped his attack. Ichigo grinned with satisfaction as she and Sasuke stood locked in combat, their arms shaking with effort as they attempted to overpower one another. They stood at a deadlock for almost a minute. Sasuke then scoffed and jumped to the side, causing Ichigo's blade to swing down into open air. Unbalanced, she stumbled, and her opponent took the opportunity to slam the sole of his booted foot into her ribs. Crying out in pain, she flew a few yards across the clearing before landing roughly on the grass, her side burning where he had savagely kicked her. Groaning, she rolled onto her back and coughed. A trickle of blood flowed from the corner of her mouth.

"Had enough?" he taunted as he twirled his kunai in his hand expertly. Growling, she snapped to her feet and charged. Keeping her blade low to the ground, just skimming across the grass, she rushed at him before swinging the blade up with all her strength. It cut the air to ribbons, and the boy's eyes widened in surprise as he dove out of the way. Small pieces of his raven hair fluttered to the ground as Ichigo whirled on him, smirking with satisfaction as she faced him once more. Sasuke rose a hand to the side of his head, feeling the small cut that bloomed red on the top of his ear.

"I was just getting started," she sneered as she wiped the trail of blood away with the side of her hand. "Underestimate me, and you'll end up with more than just a little scratch," she warned. He only scowled at her, his dark eyes searching her stance desperately for any sort of weakness. He brought his body lower to the ground, holding up the kunai threateningly, as he slowly began to circle her. Ichigo matched his steps, keeping pace with him.

"Go Sasuke!" Sakura cheered happily from the sidelines. She wriggled happily as she watched the developing match, her cheeks almost as bright as her hair.

"Boo, Sasuke! Kick his butt, Ichigo!" Naruto yelled beside her, earning him a savage punch to the back of the head. He moped as he nursed the bump on his skull, whimpering and muttering, "Why me?" Even Kakashi was watching the battle with a lazy interest. His exposed eye widened slightly as the two young ninja sprang at each other once more, clashing mid-air. They dashed all over the battlefield, their forms blurry as they zipped across the grass. Sparks flew and resounding clangs echoed through the trees each time they met, pausing a moment to glare daggers into each other's eyes before dashing apart again. Sakura and Naruto eventually fell silent, enthralled by the deadly dance. Suddenly, Sasuke appeared on a tree branch, perching angrily above the swordswoman.

"Take this!" he shouted as he quickly wove a chain of hand-signs. He sucked in a deep breath, and Ichigo felt the air around her begin to boil as he held his fingers to his mouth and released. A writhing fireball appeared above her head, bearing down on her with unbelievable intensity. Sakura screamed and scrambled into the bushes, while Naruto cursed at him and hastily climbed a nearby tree. Even Kakashi vanished. As the gigantic flame fell from the sky, it was all Ichigo could do to throw herself roughly to the side and roll out of the way. The flames crashed onto the ground, crackling for a few seconds before dissipating. The earth smoldered where the jutsu had struck, and when the ninja threw herself to her feet and looked up angrily at the branch, the caster was nowhere to be seen.

The air whistled as a projectile soared out of the bushes to her left, and Ichigo cried out in alarm as she bent over backwards to avoid it. She barely managed to do so, and felt her nose begin to sting where it had just managed to slice through the skin. Taken advantage of her unbalanced stance, Sasuke sprang from the bushes with a yell, throwing a handful at shuriken at her. Ichigo knocked them away with her blade, allowing him to power through and knock her feet down from under her. She landed flat on her back, and hastily grabbed her sword by both ends to put it between herself and the wild ninja as he flopped down on her chest, sitting triumphantly above her. The sharp tip of the kunai he was holding pressed down hard on the indentation in her blade, and her arms trembled with effort. The blunt edge of her sword inched closer and closer to her neck as he pressed down hard, both hands wrapped around the kunai handle as he bore down on her.

 _He's stronger than me,_ she realized with a pang of disappointment. _I'm going to lose,_ she thought fearfully. _No! I can't!_ she thought with a growl, and she felt the chakra within her body began to writhe and swirl. Sasuke's eyebrows knotted together in confusion as the ninja blade sparked with electricity with a brief second, but Ichigo was too busy squirming to get away to notice. Crying out, she planted her hands in the ground above her head and launched the weight of her legs into the air, throwing the confused boy off. He rolled across the dirt, throwing up clouds of dust in his wake. She flipped into a handstand and pushed herself into the air, landing directly behind Sasuke as he recovered. When the dust cleared, they both squatted across from each other, panting heavily with their blades resting at each other's throats.

"A tie?" Naruto cried, still clinging to the branch of the tree he had climbed to escape the blaze. Sakura's head popped out of a leafy bush, and she bitterly spat out a small leaf before blinking in wonder.

"Is it over? Did my Sasuke win?" she squealed, then pursed her lip when she laid eyes on the result. Before either of the combatants could make a move to continue the fight, Kakashi appeared in a puff of smoke, his hands wrapped tightly about both their wrists.

"That's enough, you two. I think it's safe to call it a draw," he said cheerfully. Reluctantly, the ninjas withdrew their weapons. _If Kakashi-sensei hadn't stopped it, I would have lost after another minute or so,_ she thought with a slight frown. She flopped down onto the ground with a huff, exhausted from the high-energy brawl. Every muscle in her body ached, and the small scratch on her nose stung. _Still, at least I know what I'm capable of now,_ she grinned slightly and held the sword up above her head, watching the sunlight dance over its edge.

Ichigo blinked as Sasuke stared hard at her sword from where he stood a few feet away, his eyes narrowed with a mixture of confusion and anger. She looked down at it, turning it over in her hands, but the steel blade seemed just the same as before. When she glanced back up, he had already stalked off to the edge of the clearing.

"Maybe I imagined it," she heard him mumble as he left.

"Wait, sensei!" Naruto called, then cried out as he lost his grip on the tree branch and went tumbling to the ground. He landed on his face, and lay there groaning for a second before popping up into a sitting position and shaking his head furiously. "Does this mean Ichigo and Sasuke are tied? What about the ramen?"

"You didn't really think I wouldn't treat all of you after a hard day's work, did you?" Kakashi mused as he clapped his book shut and stowed it in the ninja pouch at his side. "I'm impressed with all your work today. Even after a few days of training, you've grown well," he praised. Naruto sniggered shyly and rubbed the back of his neck, while Sasuke just snorted and Sakura looked away guiltily. Ichigo just chucked softly as she sat up, brushing a few strands of hair that had slipped out of her pigtails during the battle.

"I don't know about you guys," she grinned stupidly, "but I'm starving! I could eat ten bowls of ramen!"

"You said it!" Naruto crowed as he danced happily in place, anticipating his beloved ramen. "Come on, sensei, you promised- now let's go eat!"

"Please don't eat ten bowls," Kakashi sighed in resignation as he pinched the bridge of his nose. Sakura, Naruto, and Ichigo burst into giddy laughter, and even Sasuke smirked slightly. Ichigo watched warmly from her spot on the ground as Naruto hovered excitedly around their sensei, bleating about his dinner. Sakura was giving him a good scolding for his rudeness, as usual. _I have a really good team,_ she thought with a small smile. She blinked as a hand appeared in front of her face, and she looked up to see Sasuke standing over her, his eye twitching as he looked crossly the other way.

"Take it," he demanded impatiently. Ichigo grabbed onto his hand, and he pulled her to her feet. Immediately he let go and shoved his hands into his pockets, turning his back on her. She stared curiously at the Uchiha crest on the back of his blue shirt. "Good fight," he said suddenly. The compliment threw her off-guard for a moment. "Next time, though," he added as he smirked over his shoulder, "I'll destroy you." Ichigo gazed at him for a moment, then giggled. Sasuke recoiled in shock, the faintest blush rising to his cheeks. "Wh-what's so funny?"

"You're too serious, you know," she laughed as she clapped him on the back and walked past him to join her friends. "Lighten up!" He stared after her for a moment, then snorted and mumbled something under his breath.

"Come on, Sasuke!" Sakura called as they began walking down the path, waving giddily at the moody boy.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming!" he snapped back, walking across the clearing. The group waited for him to catch up before walking blissfully down the worn dirt path that led to the inner part of the village, chatting happily about their training session. Ichigo felt the secure weight of the sword on her back, and she squeezed her eyes shut for a moment as she felt a wave of happiness roll over her.

 _Did I make you proud, Dad?_ she thought. _I'm a real Tsukihana now! I'm gonna get stronger and stronger, until everyone respects me and our clan name is cleared!_ She resolved. In her eagerness, she had allowed her pace to slow, and when she opened her eyes once more she found that she had drifted behind the pack. Alarmed, she took off in a sprint.

"Wait! Wait for me!" she cried. Grinning happily, she ran after her friends, the friends she would follow into the darkest dangers in the days to come…


	6. Chapter 5: Tazuna the Bridgebuilder!

The bright green leaves rustled softly in the air in the forest lands surrounding the Village Hidden in the Leaves. Clouds drifted lazily across the clear blue sky, and the sun blazed down from above, but little light reached the forest floor due to the thick canopy. Spots of dappling sunlight illuminated the decaying leaves and brambly underbrush that coated the ground, all but eclipsing the dark earth. In bare spots, grass managed to cling to life, relying on the little sunlight that filtered down from the treetops.

Ichigo peered out from her position behind the trunk of a well-sized oak tree, her silver eyes scanning the surrounding area for any sign of movement. Her heart was pounding loudly; she could feel it ramming against her ribs and the blood roaring in her ears as her blood raced through her body, accompanied by adrenaline. There was a flash, and a form disappeared into a leafy bush nearby, leaving the small plant quivering. On either side of her, pressed up against the wooden bark, Sasuke and Naruto glared at the shaking plant. Sakura was a few yards off, her green eyes determined.

"What's the distance to the target?" Kakashi's voice buzzed over the earpiece in Ichigo's ear.

"Five meters," Ichigo responded with narrowed eyes. "Ready to engage, sensei!" she added with a slight smirk. The voices of her comrades chimed in agreement over the microphone.

"Very well, then. Go!" Kakashi commanded through the earpiece. The four of them launched themselves from their hiding places, diving into the bush after the mystery figure; however, it was Naruto who apprehended their target, and came rolling out from underneath the leafy construct, small twigs sticking out of his messy hair as he grappled with the fat brown cat he had around the belly. It screeched wildly in protest and wriggled and squirmed desperately to free itself from the rambunctious ninja's grasp. It was all Naruto could to hold on to the frantic cat.

"Confirming the ribbon on the left ear," Sakura chimed into the microphone as they stood above Naruto. Ichigo frowned down at the poor boy, watching as the cat clawed angrily at his face. Naruto was slinging curses and attempting to regain control of the situation, failing miserably. _I'm glad he's the one who got ahold of that thing… Sorry, Naruto,_ she frowned guiltily. She made to try and pet the yowling cat, but hastily retreated as its sharp claws dug deep into the tip of her index finger. She winced as the wound stung sharply, and miserably sucked on the end of her finger, glaring down at the raging cat. _If I were your owner, I certainly wouldn't keep you, you naughty thing!_ she scolded silently.

"Good. Lost pet 'Tora' search mission is now complete!" Kakashi said proudly over the radio.

A short time later they returned to the village, reporting to the Hokage's residence to turn over the lost cat and receive their next mission for the day. When they arrived, they instantly realized why the poor creature had been desperate to escape; its owner, a plump woman with gaudy makeup, snatched the cat out of Naruto's hands as soon as they entered. Squealing nonsense and baby-talk, she rubbed her cheek affectionately against the cat's own, but with enough force to crush a mountain. She squeezed the fat cat relentlessly, and it howled miserably in the excited woman's arms.

"No wonder it ran away," Sakura muttered under her breath as they watched the unfortunate display. Naruto found it quite funny, however, as he was covered in scratches and bandages as a result of handling the unruly cat. Ichigo felt slightly bad for her rude thoughts earlier. _My heart goes out to you, kitty._

"That's what you get!" he sneered, sticking out his tongue mockingly at the squashed creature. He ceased his taunting when the Hokage puffed impatiently on his pipe, staring levelly at all of them.

"Team Kakashi," he announced as he huffed on his smoking pipe, holding up an official document. "Your next mission is to babysit the Elder's grandson, go shopping in a neighboring village, and help with gardening," he revealed. Instantly, Naruto threw up his arms in an "X" sign and shook his head wildly in refusal.

"No way! No way! No, no, no thank you!" he cried indignantly. "I've had enough of these household chores! I want a different mission- a _real_ mission!" he demanded. The room fell into silence at the weight of his words, but none of the Genin moved to disagree. Ichigo certainly felt as if the recent missions had been a bit boring. _He has a point… We are ninja, after all. If this keeps up, our skills will grow dull…_ she thought with a frown. She glanced up at Kakashi-sensei, who looked positively exasperated.

Ichigo jumped as there was suddenly a loud slam. She returned her attention to the table where the Hokage had been sitting to find that Iruka-sensei had slammed his hands down on the table in anger and was glaring at Naruto. The Hokage just sighed and pulled his hat down over his eyes, continuing to huff and puff on his pipe.

"Naruto, don't be a moron! You just graduated! You have to work your way up from simple duties just like everyone else!" Iruka snapped impatiently. Naruto did not back down, however, and simply yelled back.

"But we're getting all the crappy missions! Come on, there has to be something else!" he protested angrily.

"Maybe something a little different, at least?" Ichigo offered more politely. Iruka turned to satre at her, slack-jawed with shock that she dared speak out against them. She blushed slightly in embarrassment, shuffling her feet shyly. Naruto is starting to rub off on me, she thought miserably. She fell silent, unwilling to continue to protest for fear of invoking the wrath of her mentors, but Naruto kept right on complaining. He then cried out in pain as Kakashi punched him in the head, sending him to the floor.

"Be quiet," he sighed. Once the dissatisfied yellow-haired shinobi was finally settled down, the Hokage glanced up with a slight frown.

"Naruto, since you obviously don't get it, I will have to explain the structure of these missions for you," he snorted. He then delved into the ninja mission system, describing the order of ranks and the classification of missions from A to D. Ichigo knew that Genin were relegated to only C and D rank missions, which were simple tasks submitted by ordinary folk who either couldn't or didn't desire to do them alone. The village received payment for completed missions, and so it was important that all missions, regardless of status, were completed. Ichigo knew all of this, and as the Hokage began to lecture she found her attention lapsing. _I understand that we're only rookie Genin… A girl can dream, though,_ she sighed. Naruto began relating a story of ramen he had eaten just recently, much to the Hokage's annoyance. "Pay attention!" he snapped impatiently. All of the Genin, and even Kakashi, had been drawn into Naruto's story of food, and they guiltily returned their attention to their leader.

"Sorry," Kakashi apologized bashfully. Naruto, sitting criss-cross on the floor, merely stuck out his tongue in distaste.

"Man, all you do is lecture!" he whined. "I'm not the trouble-making brat that I used to be! I can handle a real mission!" he shouted. He then huffed and turned his back on the table, crossing his arms defiantly. Iruka and the Hokage glanced at each other, then gave each other knowing smiles.

"All right," the Hokage consented with a chuckle. "If you want it that much, I suppose that I can give you a C-rank mission," he smiled. The four Genin gasped in surprise, and Ichigo could not help but grin. _Wow! He really gave us a C-rank mission! I wonder what it'll be! Will we get to leave the village?_ She pondered excitedly. Visions of far-away lands danced in her head, phantasms of different customs and exotic foods. Her mind was so lost in the fantasy that she nearly missed the description of the assignment. "You have to protect a certain individual and escort him to his home." Naruto could barely contain his excitement, rocking back and forth on the wooden floor.

"Ooh! Who is it? A princess? A feudal lord? An actor? No, seriously, is it a princess?" he babbled. The Hokage signaled for their charge to be introduced, and nearly bursting with anticipation, the four young ninja turned on their heels as the door slowly slid open. Ichigo's heart raced. _Oh, I'm so excited! What if it's the prince of a far-away country? Oh, then we can travel through all sorts of mystical places and see all kinds of things!_ She fantasized. However, their excited grins fell immediately as the stranger stumbled through the door, half-drunk and clutching a bottle of alcohol tightly in his hand. He looked scruffy, an old man in simple clothes a piece of rope tied sideways around his forehead.

"What's this? Why, these are a bunch of brats!" he snorted disapprovingly. Ichigo's heart fell. _Well, we may not look like much, but we are ninja,_ she moped. "Especially that short one with the dopey expression. What a super-brat!" he scoffed.

"Haha! Who's the short one with the dopey expression?" Naruto sniggered as he hopped to his feet. There was an uncomfortable silence as he came to the realization that he was indeed the shortest person in the room. Characteristic of Naruto, his temper blazed immediately, and he made to launch himself at the old man. "Hey! I'll kill you!" he cried angrily as Kakashi deftly grabbed him by the back of the collar. Naruto's arms and legs flailed uselessly, and curses streamed from his mouth.

"Naruto, you can't kill the client," their mentor sighed tiredly.

"And you," the old man snorted as he turned his drunken gaze on Ichigo. She went bright red, having not anticipated being the subject of any rude commentary.

"Wh-what, me?" she squeaked.

"Yeah, you, with the ridiculous hair. You look about as delicate as a glass vase! How can I expect this bunch of misfits to protect me?" he complained to the Hokage. Ichigo pouted, running her fingers over her long, trailing pigtails. _I'm not delicate…_ she pouted silently. Sasuke was smirking, and Sakura had a hand over her mouth, shocked that the client was so positively abrasive. The old man took a final swig of his bottle before releasing a satisfied sigh and staring levelly at the children.

"I am the bridgebuilder, Tazuna. I expect you to provide me protection until I complete my bridge," he frowned down at them. Despite herself, Ichigo found her heart begin to race. _A bridge… Oh, this is going to be exciting!_

Once the young Genin and their mentor were packed and prepared for the long road ahead, they met their client at the entrance to the village. He was still drunk, it seemed, as his cheeks were a fair shade of pink and his gaze hazy. As Ichigo walked down the dirt path leading out of the village, clutching the straps of her backpack with her sword clinking against her back, Naruto ran under the arch and into the space beyond the wall surrounding the village.

"Woohoo!" he cheered happily, throwing his hands triumphantly into the air. "All right! Let's goooo!"

"What are you so excited about?" Sakura frowned from her position beside Sasuke. She stared at him with a disapproving look, hands on her hips.

"I've never left the village before," Naruto admitted bashfully as he looked around eagerly for anything interesting. Ichigo found herself smiling rather than condemning the boy for his happiness, for she felt the same way; her father had never allowed her out of the village before, and now that they were going on a cross-country mission, she felt bubbly with anticipation. Sakura, however, rolled her eyes at him, and Tazuna pointed at the excited young boy.

"Am I really going to survive with this brat around?" he muttered. Naruto whipped around, eager to prove himself worthy to the grumpy old.

"Hey, old man! Don't mess with ninjas! Especially me- I'm the best ninja there is!" Naruto crowed proudly. Ichigo pursed her lips slightly at his bold declaration.

"You're certainly unique," Ichigo offered kindly. Naruto ignored her, still shouting at the old man. She had no idea if Naruto was capable of becoming Hokage; she knew that potential rested inside of him, but Hokage seemed like a pretty pipe dream. _At least he has a dream. That will make him stronger._

"One day I'm gonna be Hokage! Believe it! My name is Naruto Uzumaki, so you had better remember it!" he cried defiantly. Tazuna only snorted and began walking away.

"You? Hokage? Don't waste your breath," he huffed and pulled his hat down closer to his eyes.

"Yeah-huh! I'll do anything!" Naruto refuted angrily. "I _will_ be Hokage, and then you'll acknowledge me!" Tazuna didn't miss a beat.

"No, I won't, you brat," he spat acidly. "Even if you did become Hokage." Naruto was stunned into silence for a brief second, then cried out furiously and charged the bridgebuilder. Ichigo hastily grabbed onto the white collar of his jumpsuit, restraining him just in time before the boy could assault their client.

"Naruto, please!" she pleaded as he wriggled in her grasp. "You heard what Kakashi-sensei said- we can't attack our client, even if he baits you!" Sakura rolled her eyes at their hopeless comrade, throwing up her arms in surrender as she began following her mentor down the worn path. Sasuke remained silent, ignoring Naruto's temper tantrum as he followed her with his hands in his shorts pockets. "Don't worry, Naruto," Ichigo smiled. "Just think off all the cool things we'll get to see! That makes putting up with the old man worthwhile, don'tcha think?" Naruto reluctantly ceased his attempted attack, pouting.

"Yeah, I guess," he mumbled before trudging after the group. As Ichigo moved to follow, she then froze mid-step, looking fearfully over her shoulder at a branch in a nearby tree. It was empty, the leaves around it fluttering slightly in the breeze, and she narrowed her eyes as she stared hard at the shadows of the giant plant.

"Come on, Ichigo!" Sakura called impatiently. The white-haired girl shook her head to clear away the fears creeping into her mind, and she ran hurriedly after her friends. Where her gaze had just been, two dark-haired forms shifted into focus, chuckling darkly as they eyed their prey.


	7. Chapter 6: Attacked!

As Ichigo walked along the worn dirt road that wound itself through the dense forests dominating the Land of Fire, she stared up at the blue sky, watching the puffy clouds trail along with the breeze. The weather was perfect for their journey, with the sun shining down upon them and casting them in a gentle warmth. The trees fluttered occasionally with a slight breeze, and birdsong was heavy in the air as they trekked along the path alongside the grumpy bridgebuilder. Their trip had been largely silent for the most part, with Naruto still fuming over Tazuna's scathing words and the other Genin largely unsure just what to say to the abrasive old man. It was Sakura who finally decided to speak up, her curiosity too insatiable to be wary of the bridgebuilder's attitude.

"Um, Mr. Tazuna?" she began hesitantly. "You're from the Land of Waves, isn't that right?" she inquired.

"Yeah, what about it?" Tazuna snapped with disinterest. Sakura frowned slightly at his rude display, but continued nonetheless; however, she turned her inquiry to their sensei, not wishing to continue facing the old man's discourteous commentary.

"Kakashi-sensei, do they have ninja in the Land of Waves?" she asked. Ichigo trotted closer, intrigued by the girl's question.

"No, not in that country," Kakshi answered as he glanced over at his pink-hard subordinate. "In most other countries, hidden ninja villages do exist, although their customs and culture are different than ours." _Wow,_ Ichigo thought as visions of hidden villages suspended among the mountains and hidden in dense swamps danced in her mind. _I bet they use all kinds of cool jutsu… Though I wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of one!_ she thought with a slight shudder and reflexively ran a finger along the leather sheath of her blade for comfort. "There are five of them," Kakashi continued, going on the explain the five major ninja villages and the lands they called home. "A small country like the Land of Waves has natural protection from the seas that surround it, and so a ninja village is not necessary to maintain its defense," he noted. "Within the villages, as you know, there is a leader who receives the title of 'kage.' They are the Hokage, Tsuchikage, Raikage, Mizukage, and Kazekage, and they reign over thousands of ninja. They are considered the most powerful ninja of their village."

Ichigo frowned doubtfully as the image of the old Hokage came to mind. _I'm sure that Lord Hokage was powerful in his prime, but… Is he really that strong?_ She doubted.

"Wow! Lord Hokage is so cool!" Sakura giggled, but Ichigo could tell that her over-zealous reaction was very fake, and the pink-haired girl was obviously experiencing similar reservations. Glances at the two boys revealed similar results; they had slight frowns on their faces as they contemplated the old man's supposed level of power.

"You all just doubted Lord Hokage, didn't you?" Kakashi accused, and all four of them tensed, caught red-handed. As they began laughing nervously and attempted to come up with excuses, Ichigo cried out as her foot sank into something wet. She glanced down to find that, much to her displeasure, she had stepped right into a puddle. She removed her foot, shaking off the water and mud with a disdainful expression. The rest of her squad continued walking along the path, still absorbed in the conversation concerning other ninja villages. Ichigo stared hard at her foot, frowning as excess water ran over her sandal. _Something doesn't feel right… This water is dense… And cold, even though the sun is shining so brightly,_ she thought as she glanced up at the sky.

Ichigo screamed as a pair of bodies suddenly surged out of the water, spraying water droplets as they somersaulted into the air and landed lightly on the dirt ground, one on either side of Kakashi. Their hands, clad in metal gauntlets with fierce blades for fingers, were linked by a whirring chain; this chain wrapped tightly around the Jonin, inhibiting his movement completely. Thrown onto her behind by the strange men's sudden appearance, Ichigo shook with horror as the dark-haired, masked attackers drew their chain tightly around Kakashi's body.

"What is this?" the silver-haired man cried in shock. The other Genin and Tazuna watched in horror, standing frozen nearby.

"One down," one of them muttered as they jerked their arms in unison, pulling the chain with immense strength. Ichigo's entire body trembled as she watched, horrified, as their sensei's body was ripped to shreds.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto cried as the pieces flopped to the ground, stirring up a cloud of dust. Ichigo felt her stomach twists into knots as she forced back the urge to hurl, and she searched desperately for any sign of the enemies; they had vanished. She caught sight of a blur, watching as the two men materialized behind Naruto. One of them raised a hand, drawing his claw across Naruto's whisker-marked cheek.

 _Move, Ichigo!_ she told herself bitterly, forcing herself onto shuddering legs and drawing her blade. The sword shook violently in her trembling hands as she began running unsteadily at the enemies. _I won't make it in time!_ She realized frantically. By remaining near the puddle, she had grown separated from the main group, and that had proven to be a major disadvantage.

" _Naruto_!" she screamed.

"Two down," he cackled as he went in for the kill. It was then that Sasuke sprang into action, launching himself from the ground and into the air with astonishing speed. Ichigo skidded to a halt beside the bridgebuilder, watching in a mix of awe and relief as he quickly grabbed a handful of shuriken and flung them at the whistling chain, pinning the links to a tree. To seal it, Sasuke flung a kunai into the shuriken's open center.

"What?" one of the mystery men cried, jerking against his now-useless gauntlet. Sasuke landed squarely on their arms, grabbing them by their metal hands to launch both his legs back in savage kicks; as they connected, the chain ripped free of the metal gauntlets, and Ichigo beamed happily. _He did it!_ She thought. Her smile vanished when the men did not fall, but dashed off in other directions, circling around the Genin to finish of their targets. One dashed toward Sakura and Tazuna, his claws extended for a killing strike.

"Sir, get behind me!" the pink-haired kunoichi exclaimed as she planted herself firmly in front of him, clumsily holding a kunai. As the ninja bore down on her, Sasuke dashed between them, both his arms extended as he shielded the girl with his own body. His eyes blazed.

The other ninja ran for Naruto, who was frozen with fear. Believing that Sakura and the bridgebuilder were in capable hands, Ichigo flung herself in front of the terrified boy, her blade poised defensively in front of her. _I can do this!_ She thought with narrowed eyes, forcing every trace of fear from her body. She stood firmly between Naruto and the incoming attacker, drawing the blade over her shoulder as she brought her body down low. If she was going to die, then she would take the enemy down with her.

Ichigo gasped as the man suddenly collided with an outstretched arm, ceasing his advance entirely. As his body fell limp, the arm tightened to hold the unconscious man firmly by the neck. That arm belonged to a familiar silver-haired Jonin.

"Kakashi-sensei! You're alive!" Ichigo cried. She could not resist a smile forming on her face, and she lowered her blade, her muscles growing slack with relief. As the dust cleared around the place where his dismembered body had landed, she realized that they were chunks of a long. _Substitution! Of course!_ She realized.

"Naruto, sorry for not helping you right away," Kakashi sighed as he gave a sidelong glance to the young ninja, still huddled behind Ichigo. "I didn't think you would freeze up like that. Lucky for you, Ichigo was willing to step up to your defense," he shrugged. "Nice job also, Sasuke, Sakura," he added as he carried the ninjas' limp bodies to the side of the road to tie them tightly to the trunk of a tree. As Ichigo sheathed her blade, she glanced behind her to see Naruto in a state of shock.

"I couldn't do anything," he murmured to himself, seemingly astounded at his own display of weakness. Ichigo couldn't say anything; she had been frozen in fear initially herself. She followed Naruto's gaze to Sasuke, who, as usual, was cool as a cucumber. _It is impressive. He didn't seem afraid at all. He certainly did more than I did,_ she frowned. _Even though I did jump in front of Naruto, I don't think I could have taken that guy down,_ she moped. She then glanced down to see blood dripping from Naruto's hand.

"Naruto! You're injured!" she gasped as she took the boy's hand and brought it closer to investigate. It was only a small scratch, but it was quite deep. Sasuke began walking to the side of the road, but paused to glance over at Naruto.

"Hey, you're not hurt, are you?... You big scaredy-cat," he teased with a mocking smile before continuing on his way. Ichigo heard Naruto growl in anger and tense up. _How uncalled for!_ Ichigo thought angrily, whipping around to snap back. Before either of them could argue, however, Kakashi glanced up from tying the last knot in the rope.

"Naruto, Ichigo, save it. Naruto, don't move too much, and Ichigo, don't touch that wound. The claws are soaked in poison," he instructed firmly. All the color drained from Naruto's face as he looked fearfully down at the wound. Ichgio hastily dropped his hand and checked to make sure no blood had gotten on her while she had been examining the cut. "We have to open up the wound and drain the poison. If you move too much, it will spread faster, and you'll die. Tazuna," he added, looking at the bridgebuilder. "We need to talk."

The squad moved to the side of the road, staring at the ninja, who were now conscious and glaring savagely at them. _I hope they can't get out of those bonds,_ Ichigo thought worriedly, staring at Naruto's still-bleeding hand.

"These are Chunin from the Village Hidden in the Mist," Kakashi explained levelly.

"How did you know?" one of the ninja demanded angrily. Kakashi stared back like the answer was obvious, lounging with his hands in his pockets.

"A puddle on a clear day, when it hasn't rained in weeks? Poor camouflage," he snorted. Ichigo's shoulder sagged slightly, disappointed that she hadn't noticed.

"Man, I stepped in it and even I didn't pick up on that," she mumbled.

"That's a Jonin for you," Sasuke huffed.

"Well, then, why didn't you intervene sooner?" Tazuna snapped. "They were nearly killed!" _If I didn't know better, I would think that he cared,_ Ichigo thought with pursed lips.

"I had to know who their target was," Kakashi answered simply with a glance at Tazuna. The old man tensed and mumbled, "What's that supposed to mean?" "Well, I had to see if they were after you, or us? We didn't receive a notification that there were ninja after you. Our mission was simply to protect you from everyday thieves and gangs. This is now a B-rank mission or higher- which is extremely expensive." With a guilty expression, Tazuna looked down at the ground, his hat casting a shadow over the top half of his face. "I'm sure you have your reasons, but, this mission is now operating outside of our assigned duties."

"We're only Genin," Sakura agreed. "We aren't trained enough to handle something like this! Besides, Naruto is hurt. We need to get him to a doctor. We should go back to the village," she explained. Naruto looked down at his wound with a heavy frown. _It is a bad wound, but… I don't want to abandon Tazuna,_ Ichigo thought, looking at the old man. _I'm sure he has a good reason for lying. He must have been so desperate,_ she thought as she pitied the old man.

"This may be out of our league," Kakashi relented. "I think we should return to the village and treat Naruto."

Suddenly, Naruto whipped out a kunai and drove the pointed edge deep into the wound of his hand, causing blood to spray onto the dirt path. As he stood there trembling, he whispered, "With this kunai… I'll protect the old man!" he cried, grinning determinedly. "We'll continue the mission!"

 _Naruto…_ Ichigo thought as she stared wide-eyed at him in pure amazement.

Meanwhile, deep in the Land of Waves, a short man with shades covering his eyes pointed accusingly at a large man seated in a chair, a greatsword slung lazily over his shoulder as he regarded the small businessman.

"You failed? I thought you were assassins!" the short man in a suit yelled angrily. "I spent a lot of money on you because you were 'skilled ninja'!" The man squeaked as the large man effortlessly lifted the blade and pointed its sharp tip at his throat.

"Quit you're whining," the man muttered. "This time, I'll go myself, and kill them."

"Are you sure?" the short man stammered. "They seem to have hired skilled ninja… Since the Demon Brothers failed, they'll be more cautious." The man stared levelly back at him, his expression unreadable from the heavy bandages wrapped around his mouth. His eyes, however, were cold.

"Who do you think I am?" he growled. "I am Zabuza Momochi, the Demon of the Hidden Mist. I will not fail."


	8. Chapter 7: The Allure of Power

As silence descended over the stunned ninja team and their equally surprised client, Naruto remained resolute, glaring determinedly at them while his blood dripped onto the sandy ground. While his vow had indeed been impressive and inspiring, Ichigo couldn't help but wonder if stabbing himself in the hand was a good idea, considering his blood was already loaded with poison from the attacking Chunins' claws.

"Um, Naruto," she frowned hesitantly. "If you do that, won't the poison spread even faster? You're bleeding a lot, too. If you don't wrap that up, you might die of blood loss before you even go through with your noble vow and all…" As she fretted lightly over the wound, Naruto's face turned deadly pale and sweat began to run down his face in bullets. He then let out a wail and began flailing his arms about in panic.

"Oh no! Oh no! I can't die yet! This is bad!" he screeched as he ran around in circles. With the astonishing moment gone as quickly as it came, the three other Genin and their sensei all sighed in exasperation at Naruto's idiocy. Kakashi walked calmly over to the boy, grabbing his hand to dress his wound while consoling the anxious young ninja. While Sakura barked insults at the goofy Naruto, Ichigo glanced over to the guilty-looking Tazuna.

"Sensei," the old man suddenly uttered, causing the Jonin to glance up in curiosity. "I have to talk to you. About this mission… You're right, it is most likely outside of your duties. The thing is, a very powerful man is after my life." The Genin gasped, surprised that anyone would want to hurt the bridgebuilder. _Sure, he's grumpy, but that's not enough to kill him over, is it?_ Ichigo frowned as she chewed on the inside of her cheek. "You've probably heard of him, the old man remarked to Kakashi. "The wealthy shipping magnate, Gatou."

"Huh? Gatou? From _the_ Gatou Company?" Kakashi frowned in disbelief. "He's said to be one of the world's wealthiest people."

"I've never heard of him," Ichigo pouted, upset to be out of the loop. "Who is he, Mr. Tazuna?"

"He's a cutthroat businessman who owns a large shipping trade. Under the table, however, he sells drugs and other contraband, and uses ninjas and gang members to take over businesses and even countries. He's a very bad man," Tazuna huffed. Ichigo could sense the deep-seated hatred writhing inside Tazuna. "About one year ago, he set his sight on the Land of Waves. He quickly took over using his money, influence, and of course, violence. He now has a monopoly on all shipping in and out of the country. The only thing he has to fear now… is the bridge."

"I see!" Sakura nodded. "Because you're building the bridge, you oppose him and his plans."

"If you build the bridge, you'll have access to the mainland and new trade that Gatou can't control!" Ichigo realized. She glanced over at the two Mist Chunin, still glowering at their sensei. "So Gatou hired those thugs to take you out."

"If you knew all this, why didn't you tell us?" Kakashi asked lowly. The four Genin looked expectantly at Tazuna, who cast his gaze to the ground.

"The Wave Country is poor," he sighed heavily. "Even our Feudal Lord has nothing to his name. Even everyone in the country combined doesn't have the funds to cover a B-rank or higher mission." While the weight of the heavy realization hung in the air, Tazuna suddenly began laughter, resulting in confusion spreading through the ninja team. "If you leave now, I'll probably be killed, but that's all right! Oh, but my poor 10-year-old grandson will be so upset and cry for a few days, and my daughter will curse the Hidden Leave village and all its ninja for all eternity! It's not your fault though. Not at all!"

"Is he guilt-tripping us?" Ichigo muttered to her team.

"I think he is. It's working," Sakura whined as she sagged her shoulders. "Throwing his grandson in our face? Really?" Even Sasuke and Naruto looked slightly guilty as they regarded the crafty old man.

"Well… I guess we have no choice to protect you, at least until you get back to your country," Kakashi relented with a nervous laugh.

Next thing Ichigo knew, they were on a boat, trailing through thick mist that clouded all her vision. Their transporter, a middle-aged man with a similar pointed hat, steered the boat expertly through the mist.

"We should see the bridge soon," he remarked. As he murmured the words, a massive form materialized in the dense fog, a giant stone structure that towered taller than any trees in the Land of Fire. Ichigo gawked in amazement at the gigantic bridge. _Unbelievable! They built this by hand?_ She thought incredulously and glanced over at the old bridgebuilder with newfound respect. However, instead of beaming with pride over his life's work, the old man seemed despondent and grim.

"Wow! It's huge!" Naruto squealed with delight as he leaned over the edge of the boat to get a better look. The act resulted in an angry hiss from their boating guide.

"Quiet down, you! Don't you know there's a reason we're not using the engine? We'll be dead If Gatou finds us!" he snapped bitterly. Naruto hunkered guiltily down in the boat, crossing his arms glumly. The man nervously looked around, his eyes narrowed. "We'll be there soon," he informed as he gently guided them through the water. They passed under a short stone tunnel, and light glared from the other side. Ichigo held up a hand against her eyes as they struggled to adjust, slowly lowering it as a gasp slipped past her lips.

"Wow," she murmured as she sat up slightly to cast her gaze around the boat, her silver eyes wide with wonder at the quaint land they had arrived at. The buildings were built on the water, supported by wooden walkways and posts. Mangroves, their roots twisting and diving into the water, sprung up all around them. The sea breeze carried with it the taste of salt. While the young kunoichi sat admiring the scenery, their guide docked the boat and quickly tied off so that they could unload safely.

"This is it for me," he frowned unsurely up at Tazuna. "Be careful," he added before flipping off the engine and speeding away.

"We're about a day and a half away from my home," Tazuna informed the ninja leader.

"In that case, we'll keep going until sundown and then find a safe place to camp for the night," Kakashi decided, and with the plan in motion they walked along the wooden planks until their feet landed on soft, springy earth. They had stumbled across a small forest, rich with vegetation. They walked for a few more hours until the light began to dim, the leaves painted yellow and gold as the setting sun cast its final rays upon them. Ichigo thought it was quite beautiful. With an exhausted sigh, Tazuna plopped down at the base of a tree and promptly took out his alcohol to take a large swig.

"What a drunk," Sakura muttered as she crouched down to unroll her sleeping bag.

"Can you blame him, with all the things he's probably gone through?" Ichigo answered back as she slipped off her backpack and unpacked her belongings. The night grew longer without much incident, and soon they were all curled up beneath the trees and the open sky, softly snoring while Kakashi kept careful watch. That is, except for Ichigo. As she stared up at the glittering stars through the breaks in the leaves, sleep evaded her. Her mind was troubled. With an exasperated, annoyed cry, she threw off the top of her sleeping bag and sat up miserably before slipping out of the blanket and trudging over to the edge of the camp. The sounds of the night, crickets and the occasional hooting owl, echoed around her but brought her no peace of mind.

"Can't sleep?" she heard a voice bounce down from above her, and she glanced up to see her sensei perched in the bend of a tree, his knee propped up while his other leg hung down. She nodded sadly, and he gestured for her to join him in his post. Ichigo grabbed the nearest branch, boosting herself up to gingerly pick her way up the tree. When she finally arrived at her sensei's perch, she plopped down on the branch, swinging her legs slightly as she stared off into the distance. "Something on your mind?" he inquired gently.

"What is it about power that makes people do bad things?" she asked quietly. "I mean, surely Gatou didn't start out a bad man… Once he got the taste of money and the power that comes with it, though, he started ruining people's lives to get more, when he already had plenty. Why does he have to take things from people who don't deserve it? What is it about power that makes him that way?" Kakashi leaned back slightly as he pondered the question carefully.

"If I'm being honest, I don't know," he answered finally. Before Ichigo could grow too disappointed, however, he continued, "I don't think power in itself is evil. Many people go after power for many reasons. Some people seek power to protect those that are precious to them. Others," he added with a glance down at Naruto, "seek power for recognition or to prove something. Still others seek power to exact their revenge, and some seek power for the sake of power. Some people don't even look for power, but find it granted to them nonetheless," he explained. "I'm not sure why Gatou decided to seek power, but there is something I've found concerning people who use power to hurt others," he smiled slightly at her.

"What's that?" she asked.

"People who use their power to hurt others are weak, and we should feel sorry for them," he concluded. Ichigo's eyes widened slightly.

"Feel sorry for them?" she echoed. She found it hard to pity the ruthless businessman, with all his diabolical murdering and cutthroat business tactics that had caused so much suffering to Tazuna and his entire country. As she satred doubtfully at her sensei, he laughed slightly and put a hand reassuringly on her head. Just the act alone appeased her heavy heart just a fraction, and she smiled lightly back at him.

"It's hard to understand, I know," he mused. "The things is, power is supposed to make you stronger- that's why it's sought in the first place. However, people who gain power and use it to hurt others never really got stronger in the first place. It wasn't enough to fill whatever empty space they have inside of them," he explained. Ichigo nodded in understanding and glanced back down at her sleeping teammates. They had all decided to be ninja, to gain power and grow stronger for different reasons. _I hope… None of us ever let that go to our heads._ "You're not asking because of Gatou, are you?" Kakashi asked suddenly, and she whipped around to face him, her cheeks red with embarrassment. She then looked down at her lap and nodded bitterly.

"What Mr. Tazuna said today… Reminded me of the rebel Tsukihana- of my mom," she admitted. "Did you… know my mother, Kakashi-sensei?"

"Barely. I was in the Anbu Black Ops around the same time as your father, when he was younger. I met her a few times. She always struck me as… Ambitious," he frowned slightly. She could tell he was treading lightly to avoid hurting her feelings. "I _do_ know about the clan's insurrection, however."

"They tried to seize the Leaf Village government so they could rule it how they saw fit because they were dissatisfied with their current role," she muttered bitterly, then sighed sadly. "The truth is that I'm afraid," she sighed. "I'm afraid that if I go seeking power, I'll end up just like her… That it won't ever be enough."

"I can't say for sure what will happen," Kakashi answered wisely, and she looked over at him, surprised he had not come out with an instant rebuke. "The truth is, the Tsukihana rebelled because they thought that what they were doing w _as_ protecting the Leaf Village." Ichigo frowned as her heart grew heavy once more. _Just like I want to do…_ she thought glumly. _Am I destined to end up that way? Driven to madness by my desire to protect my home?_ As she pondered the grim notion, Kakashi poked her lightly in the shoulder. "Don't look so glum. I'm not finished yet," he teased. "While that is true, I don't forsee you ever taking up arms against your home."

"You don't?" she gasped.

"No. I think, in time, you'll come to understand what it truly means to protect the Hidden Leaf," he smirked cryptically at her. As she struggled to comprehend the veiled message, he ruffled her hair slightly. "You're a good person, Ichigo. Just stay on the path you're on, and you'll turn out all right. Now, get some sleep. We have a long day tomorrow," he smiled at her.

"Thank you, Kakashi-sensei!" she nodded gratefully before clambering down from the tree and crawling back into her sleeping bag. It felt as if a great weight had been lifted from her shoulders, and as she closed her eyes, the relief she felt led her right into a dreamless sleep.

 _What it… Truly means to protect the Hidden Leaf? I wonder… What he could mean…_


	9. Chapter 8: Zabuza Momochi

Naruto groaned miserably as Ichigo gently shook the blonde boy's shoulders to awaken him, and promptly curled up into a tight ball and swatted sleepily at Ichigo's pigtail while mumbling nonsense about ramen. Pursing her lips, the kunoichi shook his shoulders more insistently, jarring him back and forth until he cried out, "I'm up! I'm _up_!" With a small sigh, she dropped him back onto the dusty ground and straightened up to stare out into the forest; it was eerily silent, with no birdsong or even wind to rustle the leaves. It seemed ominous to Ichigo. _Something's out there…_ she thought with an unsettled frown, and reached behind her back to grip the sheath of her sword tightly. It provided little relief.

"Glad that you could finally join the world of the living, Naruto," Kakashi tutted as Naruto struggled into the waking world, while the rest of his team stood in the path waiting impatiently for him to rise. As he pulled stray leaves from his hair, the boisterous ninja shook his head vigorously to get his thoughts in order before leaping to his feet.

"All right! Let's go!" he cried with a cheeky grin.

"About time," Sakura mumbled, and the five of them set off down the dusty pathway that led to the village that Tazuna called home. _I hope we can get there without incident,_ Ichigo wished silently as she glanced anxiously out into the trees, feeling watched. The others were seemingly oblivious to the danger lurking in the shadows, and so the girl tried to reassure herself that she was simply paranoid and there _was_ no danger lurking just beyond the leaves. Abruptly, Naruto sprinted ahead of the group, crouching down slightly as he feverishly glanced from left to right as if searching for something. He whipped out a shuriken, flinging it into the bushes with a look of determination.

"There!" he cried, and Ichigo felt her blood turn to ice, fearful her instincts had been correct after all. As the three other ninja and their charge held their breath, silence followed for several seconds. Blinking in confusion, they stared at Naruto expectantly. When it was obvious that there was no threat to their safety, Sakura huffed and pointed an accusing finger at Naruto.

"Stop trying to act cool! There was nothing there! You scared us for no reason!" she snapped hotly while Naruto grinned proudly, adjusting his headband.

"Sorry. Looks like it was just a squirrel," he mused with a self-satisfied smirk.

"Loser," Sasuke grumbled. Kakashi and Tazuna proceeded to chastise him, but Naruto just giggled and skipped on ahead, looking around and mumbling to himself about hidden enemies. Once more, he flung a shuriken into the bushes, and Sakura promptly punched him in the jaw for his transgression.

"This time it was for real! There's someone out there!" he complained while tenderly rubbing his bruising chin, while Ichigo crept doubtfully over to the place where Naruto's projectile had disappeared. She parted the bushes gingerly, unsure what to expect, and blinked when she saw a terrified snow-white rabbit huddled against the base of a tree, the shuriken lodged in the bark centimeters above its head.

"It's a rabbit!" she gasped, and when her cry reached Naruto's ears, he scrambled into the bushes and hastily pulled the frightened creature into an embrace, screaming apologies while Sakura bopped him repeatedly on the head. _I guess we're all jumpy…_ Ichigo thought as she regarded the little creature. _What an unusual rabbit… There are only brown ones in the Land of Fire. I wonder if they're region-specific?_ She thought, crouching down to gently stroke the bunny's soft white fur. _Or maybe it's just a freak of nature, like me,_ she thought glumly as she tugged firmly at her equally white hair. Too lost in her own brooding, Ichigo failed to notice the gigantic blade whistling through the air until Kakashi yelled, "Everyone! Get down!"

With a gasp, Ichigo threw herself onto her belly along with the rest of her companions, and the sword twirled through the air inches above her head to lodge firmly into the trunk of a tree. As she glanced up, she swallowed as the largest man she had ever laid eyes on landed lightly on the protruding handle of the blade, his back to them. _He's huge!_ As they hastily scrambled to their feet, the man stared coolly down at them over his shoulder, his eyes trained on Kakashi with a look of subtle loathing. Kakashi stared coolly back, with his hands nonchalantly stuffed in his pockets as if their brush with death hadn't fazed him.

"Well, well. Zabuza Momochi," their silver-haired teacher called up to the large swordsman. _He must be an enemy! You aren't the only swordsman around here!_ she thought with a huff as she ripped her blade from its sheath, the steel glinting in the sunlight as she held it defensively in front of her. As she moved to rush forward, however, a gloved hand shot in front of her chest to hold her back. "No. This man is on an entirely different level than the three of you," Kakashi warned, still staring intently at the giant ninja. Then, he raised his arm to pull back the headband that concealed his left eye. The three Genin stared in wonder.

 _His eye!_ Ichigo thought as she took a slight step back, intimidated. A long, thin scar slashed across his face, but it was his eye that unnerved her; it was blood red, with strange black markings arranged in a circular pattern around the pupil. She trembled, feeling as if Kakashi could see right through her.

"The Sharingan," Zabuza mused, as if unimpressed. "I'm honored, but the old man is mine," he added darkly.

"Protect Tazuna," Kakashi ordered brusquely. "Do _not_ enter this fight, under any circumstances."

"What's a Sharingan?" Naruto shouted impatiently, stomping his foot and seemingly more concerned about being left out of the loop than the bloodthirsty ninja looming above them. Ichigo glanced at Sasuke, who seemed uncharacteristically unsettled, as he began to speak.

"It's a visual jutsu that allows you to read your opponent's movements, whether it be genjutsu, taijutsu, or ninjutsu… But it's also said that you can copy your opponent's moves after you see them," he explained quietly. He was staring at Kakashi strangely, as if calculating something.

"Smart boy," Zabuza smirked. "'Kakashi of the Sharingan Eye'… It's said that you've copied over one thousand jutsu," he remarked, but not in admiration; Ichigo sensed as if he was almost elated with the opportunity to take down such a formidable opponent. She eased herself toward the bridgebuilder, beginning to tremble. _This man… There is something very wrong with him,_ she thought fearfully as she stared up at him with wide eyes. She tensed as he crouched down to grip the blade handle, smirking beneath the swathe of bandages that concealed the lower half of his face. "Shall we?" he mused. The four Genin leaped backward, surrounding the bridgebuilder defensively as the swordsman ripped his blade from the bark and disappeared from sight. He reappeared on the surface of the river ahead, his arm raised and his other weaving hand signs. Ichigo looked around wildly as the air around them began to thicken in a dense, white fog so thick that Kakashi-sensei vanished within it. She could barely make out Naruto and Sasuke standing beside her, poised for attack.

 _I can't see anything!_ she thought as fear began to rise in her throat.

"He'll come for me first," she heard Kakashi sigh from a few feet ahead. "He's an assassin, a master of the silent killing technique… Be careful," he warned. Ichigo swallowed, gripping her blade handle until her knuckles glared white. _Something… Something is in the air…_ she thought weakly. _It's so heavy… Heavy with… Bloodlust!_

"Eight choices," Zabuza's voice echoed through the dense fog, mocking. "Liver, lungs, spine, clevical vein, neck vein, brain, kidneys, heart. Which one… Should I go for?" he laughed, and she felt the two boys squirm beside her. Ichigo was too absorbed in her own fear to notice.

 _This is insane!_ She began panting, the tip of her sword quivering as her hands shook. Her legs were like jelly, knocking together as she struggled to remain standing. _I can't see… I can't hear… And this heaviness, I feel as if it's crushing me! It's so intense… I feel like I can't breathe, the tension is so thick! It's like my lungs are being squeezed!_ She shut her eyes, placing a hand on her chest as her lungs foughtfor air. _It's too much! If it goes on like this, I'll suffocate! I have to… I have to… I need air!_ She gasped for breath to no avail, shaking violently. _I have to get out of this mist, or I'll die!_ She thought frantically as she edged a foot forward, preparing to take off into the fog.

"Ichigo," Kakashi called firmly, and she froze, eyes widening. "Don't be afraid. I will not allow my comrades to die," he reassured, and from the tone of his voice, she was certain that he was smiling. Suddenly air filled her lungs, and she exhaled deeply in relief. _I'm… I'm safe…_ She thought weakly, smiling despite herself.

The feeling lasted only for an instant, for it was immediately after that she felt the rush of wind that cut through their ranks. She glanced over her shoulder, spying the gigantic blade and its equally large handler crouched between them and the bridgebuilder.

"It's over," he smirked, and the blade whistled as it cleaved the air. However, before it could slay its target, a flash of silver emerged from the fog, colliding with the swordsman and cutting his attack short. The mist dissipated, revealing the kunai that the Jonin had driven into Zabuza's side; yet, it was water, not blood, that poured from the wound. As the water clone evaporated, the real ninja came dashing in from behind, blade ripping through the air and right through their sensei. Before any of them could react, however, Kakashi's body morphed into water, spraying through the air in a stream before splashing harmlessly to the ground. Next thing Ichigo knew, Kakashi stood behind Zabuza with a kunai to his throat.

"Don't move," he growled. Ichigo stared at her mentor in a mixture of admiration, shock, and terror. The battle had been like a blur before her eyes, high-speed attacks and counterattacks that had blended together in an impressive few seconds. _This is Jonin combat…_ she realized. _Zabuza is finished._ However, the swordsman seemingly did not comprehend the direness of his situation, and began laughing maniacally.

"What's so funny?" Ichigo demanded. _Surely, he doesn't have something up his sleeve, does he?_ she thought anxiously.

"No way that you can defeat me with your little monkey imitations, Kakashi," he sighed. "It was impressive, that you had already applied my Water Clone Jutsu. You had your clone make your little speech while you hid in the mist, waiting for me to strike… However," he smirked, and Ichigo cried out as another Zabuza appeared behind Kakashi with a kunai at his throat. " _It's not that easy."_

As the one standing in front of Kakashi, another water clone, collapsed, the real Zabuza swung his blade. The Jonin narrowly managed to avoid it with a duck, but a savage kick sent Kakashi flying across the clearing and into the river. As Kakashi struggled to the surface, Zabuza appeared behind him, weaving hand signs so fast that his hands were a blur. A sphere of water appeared around Kakashi, trapping him in an inescapable, swirling prison.

"No way… Kakashi-sensei was captured?" Ichigo breathed as she and her Genin teammates stood on the shore, anxiously awaiting their enemy's next move. Zabuza looked over at them with a look of scorn, and she knew instantly that he intended to slay them without mercy. _This is bad! This is bad, bad, bad!_ She thought in panic. She retreated a few steps as a water clone emerged from the river, lurching toward them and chuckling evilly. The four children stood frozen in fear, unsure what to do.

"You think you're ninja just because you have headbands? Don't make me laugh," he grinned. "Real ninjas have brushed with death so many times that they have lost count… Real ninjas are listed in my Bingo Book. Stop calling yourself ninjas… You are not." Ichigo cried out as he raised a hand and vanished without a trace, and she looked around wildly. Suddenly he appeared before Naruto, delivering a savage kick to his face that knocked the headband straight from his forehead and send it clattering into the dirt, while he sailed several yards through the air before crashing roughly to the ground. "You're all brats."

"You have no chance of beating him!" Kakashi cried from his water prison. "Forget about me and run, run as fast as you can! The water clone can't go far from his real body. Just run!" Naruto trembled, edging away from the clone, while Sakura tugged at Tazuna's hand and insisted they follow their sensei's orders. Even Sasuke hesitated, staring uncomfortably at the clone. Ichigo glanced down at her ninja blade, still held tightly in her hand, and took a deep breath before raising it above her shoulder in an offensive stance. "What are you doing? I said run!" Kakashi snapped. The other three Genin glanced at her in shock.

 _I'm scared,_ she thought, unable to keep the blade from trembling slightly. _I can't let that stop me._ She recalled the scuffle with the two Chunin Mist ninja, in which she had let fear overtake her and prevent her from fighting. _I don't want to have to be rescued again!_ She thought determinedly as she lowered her body, assessing the clone for any weaknesses.

"Well, well. Aren't you a spirited one?" the water clone mocked, gripping the handle of his sword tightly as he glared at her. "Do you think that you are brave? You're a fool, and you'll die one!" he shouted, rushing at her with astonishing speed. It was all Ichigo could do to block the mighty blade that came crashing down over her head, but as she struggled beneath the weight, the ninja kicked her hard in the stomach and sent her sailing. She landed in a heap a few yards away, moaning at the burning pain in her belly, but she gritted her teeth and pulled herself to her feet regardless and took up her offensive stance once more.

"Ichigo! Stop! You'll die!" Sakura screamed at her.

"I would rather die fighting than running!" she snapped back, panting slightly as the burning in her middle faded into a dull throbbing. She tossed her head, flipping her hair behind her shoulders. She then smiled dryly. "Didn't you know? The Tsukihana's motto is 'protect and defend, until the very end'! I always thought it was cheesy," she frowned, taking a few steps closer to the clone as she struggled to coordinate an attack plan against the formidable foe. "I think it's growing on me, though," she added with a sigh. "My mission is to protect the bridgebuilder, and I intend to see that through," she frowned. Even more than that," she added with a glance at her sensei, locked in the swirling water prison. She recalled their conversation the previous night before. _I think you'll learn what it means to truly protect the Hidden Leaf Village,_ his voice chimed in her head. "I don't intend to allow my comrades to die, either!" she snapped. "If I must, I'll protect you with my life!"

"Are you finished?" the Zaubza clone asked with a tone of boredom. "Cute speech, but don't think that a little determination will be enough to kill me!" he growled, rushing at her once more. Prepared this time, Ichigo side-stepped his blow, slashing at his exposed side. He was too quick for her, however, and blocked her sword with a kunai he had procured. Twirling his massive blade in his hand, he spun his body and sent the blade in a great arc that Ichigo had to jump to avoid. As she hung in the air, he punched her square in the nose, and she went rocketing across the field and landed roughly beside Naruto. _Crap… He's too tough!_ She thought weakly. She heard the heavy footsteps as Zabuza approached, and she grimaced as he grabbed her by the front of her shirt, lifted her off the ground. Too weak to hold on to it, her blade clattered to the ground. _I said I would protect them, but I'm too weak…_ she thought miserably. "Nice try," the ninja snorted.

"Ichigo!" Sakura wailed, frozen in place as she watched with wide eyes as the clone gripped his sword hilt, aiming for the kill. Ichigo spat out blood, staring him levelly in the eyes. Even if she was to die, here and now, she would not give him the satisfaction of showing fear.

"Let her go!" came a sudden cry, and Zabuza leaped backwards and dropped Ichigo as a kunai ripped through the place his hand had been seconds before. As Ichigo fell, Naruto slid beneath her, catching her in his arms. "Good job. Let me handle the rest!" he grinned as he gently laid her down on the ground and turned to glare at Zabuza savagely. He then charged him, shouting angrily. Zabuza sent him flying with a kick, not even bothering to speak. Naruto rose to his feet, panting as he clutched his headband in his fist. As he tied it back around his forehead, he grinned. "Hey, freak with no eyebrows. Write this in your Bingo Book!" he sneered. "The ninja who's going to become Hokage is me- Naruto Uzumaki!"

"Naruto," Ichigo murmured. _He saved me…_

"Listen up! I have a plan!" he barked to Sasuke, who nodded determinedly and stepped forward to join the fray. Sakura held up a kunai and stepped defensively in front of Tazuna.

"Now we're talking," Ichigo grinned as she wiped a trail of blood from her mouth and eased herself to her feet. "Took you all long enough. I thought it was going to be a one-woman show," she teased and brandished her sword threateningly. This time, with her comrades by her side, she was not afraid.

"Let's go wild!" Naruto cried. 


	10. Chapter 9: Counterattack!

Zabuza stared levelly at them, as if processing the absurd conviction the young ninja were exhibiting despite the fact that they were clearly outmatched. He tilted his head slightly to the side, and his stone-hard eyes glared at them just above the swathe of bandages concealing the lower half of his face.

"Do you think you really stand a chance?" he muttered. "What arrogance…" Standing next to her, Naruto gritted his teeth tightly and wound his hands into fists, quivering slightly- with anticipation, anger, or fear, she was not sure. Sasuke stared at Zabuza through half-lidded eyes, poised to move at an instant. I'm not sure we can win, Ichigo thought as she gingerly rubbed the bruised area on her stomach, and felt a dribble of blood run from her likely broken nose. Yet, we can't give up! We can't leave Kakashi-sensei to die! Kakashi, however, wanted them to do just that.

"What are you doing? Run away!" he yelled angrily from his swirling water prison, where the true Zabuza stood beside him maintaining the jutsu. "This was over the moment I was captured! Just protect Tazuna!" The three of them glanced over their shoulder with unsure expressions at the bridgebuilder.

"Old man?" Naruto frowned, leaving the question unasked. The old bridgebuilder understood, however, and bowed his head with a small smile of approval.

"It's my fault that you're in this mess," he sighed heavily. "It wouldn't be fair of me to say that I want to live so much that I would stop you… So, go on then! Save your sensei, and don't worry about me!" he decided, raising his head to give them a big grin. Sasuke smiled lightly and glanced at Naruto.

"You hear that, Naruto, Ichigo? We've got the all-clear," he smirked, and Naruto cracked his knuckles with a snicker.

"All right then, are you ready?" he cried as he shot a glare at the water clone. "Here we come!" He announced as he pointed his finger at the assassin, but his arm faltered slightly when the giant man suddenly began to snigger.

"You won't ever grow up… You want to keep 'playing ninja,' do you?" he scoffed at them. Ichigo felt the blood rise to her cheeks in anger at the blatant disrespect, but when he looked up at them, the look on his face made it turn to ice immediately. Naruto and Sasuke tensed beside her, and Sakura gasped; his eyes were wide, maniacal, on the borderline of sheer lunacy. "When I was your age, these hands were already dyed red with blood!" he cackled.

"You're a monster," she mumbled under her breath, trembling slightly.

"Demon…" Kakashi murmured as he gave a sidelong glance to the ninja, his Sharingan glaring red. "The Village Hidden in the Mist was also called the Blood Mist Village. There was a final test for those who wanted to become ninja…" he trailed off, and the silence hung heavy in the air.

"Oh, yes. So you know about our graduation exam," Zabuza chuckled, almost as if he was relishing in memories. Ichigo felt a chill run through her body. Something tells me that his graduation exam wasn't quite like ours…

"What about it? We took one!" Naruto scoffed. He didn't seem to be getting the grim picture that Kakashi was painting. "What's so special about it?" Zabuza continued to chuckle darkly, then suddenly, his dark eyes shot up to meet Naruto's wide, innocent blue ones.

"It was a fight to the death!" he grinned, and Naruto took an uneasy step back. "Friends, who had trained together and eaten together, forced to go against each other in combat… Friends who shared their dreams," he mused.

"How terrible," Sakura whimpered as she held her hands to her face, as if holding up a rudimentary shield against the bloodthirsty man.

"Ten years ago, however, the exam was changed," Kakashi explained quietly, "after a devil appeared."

"A devil?" Sakura echoed.

"What… What happened?" Ichigo asked hesitantly, not looking forward to the result.

"Without pause or hesitation, a boy, who was not even a ninja, slaughtered over one hundred of the students," Kakashi finished, and Zabuza let out another maniacal string of chuckles before sighing in satisfaction. He was looking up at the sky, reliving the battle scene in his mind, and the outlines of a sickening smile appeared in the thick bandages.

"That sure was fun," he beamed, then glared at the three of them. Unnerved, they tensed, but in a flash of a second Zabuza was already upon them. Sasuke cried out in pain as the assassin's knee collided savagely with his stomach, and as he flew backward, Zabuza drove his hand into his head, sending the boy sprawling onto his back onto the ground. Before either she or Naruto could move, Zabuza planted his foot roughly on Sasuke's middle, casually stomping down. Sasuke cried out, gripping at the man's leg, but he had not the strength to lift off his attacker. He coughed violently, blood spraying the front of his blue shirt and staining it black.

"Naruto! We have to do something!" Ichigo cried.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm on it!" he yelled back, forming a hand-sign that she had never seen before. Suddenly, where there had been one Naruto, there were a hundred, all identical and solid. Are these… Shadow clones? I never knew that he was capable of such a thing! she gaped, stunned into inaction despite the grave situation. "Ichigo! Let's go!" all of them cried in unison, raising their fists to the unimpressed Zabuza.

"Oh… That's quite a lot of shadow clones," the assassin remarked casually, lifting his foot from Sasuke's middle. The Genin slowly rolled over, blood dripping from his mouth as he struggled to remain conscious. Ichigo raised her blade, and watched as the shadow clones sprang into the air, blurs of movement zipping towards the waiting Jonin. Wait for an opening… she told herself as Zabuza became buried under a writhing mass of Naruto's shadow clones, all cursing and grunting. She was beginning to believe that she had overpowered the mighty ninja until the mound trembled, and suddenly they were sent flying in all direction as Zabuza spun his greatsword in a wide arc. Now! She darted forward, weaving like a snake through the clones sailing helplessly through the air, her feet pounding into the ground as she shot towards the assassin.

"Take this!" she screeched defiantly as she bore down on him. Her small ninja blade ripped the air in two as she cut down in a diagonal arc, but even with his momentum, he managed to flip the blade over his shoulder to defend his exposed back. As steel clashed with steel, sparks danced over the blades' surfaces. Zabuza glared over his shoulder at her, then suddenly dropped one hand to the ground to give him the leverage to drive her foot once more into her stomach, with much more force this time. As her middle exploded with fiery pain, her arms spasmed and her hand lost its grip on the hilt of her blade, and it went spiraling through the air to stab into the ground several feet away; Ichigo, meanwhile, went shooting across the clearing like a comet, crashing into a tree meters away. The back of her head smacked against the rough trunk, causing her vision to grow dark for a few milliseconds. She felt every bone in her body jar upon impact, and her belly screamed in protest at the damage that had been wrought upon it. Blood sprayed from her mouth, spilling down her front as she peeled away from the tree and landed in a crumpled heat in the grass. She tried to move, but her body refused to respond. "Damn…" she whispered through gritted teeth.

"Ichigo! Damn it!" Naruto cried as he slid across the ground, rifling through his backpack. "Sasuke, you take care of the rest! Take this!" he called to the dark-haired boy, who had finally risen to his feet. A metal object whistled through the air, and Sasuke caught it deftly in a spin, and the object unfolded to reveal a massive, deadly-sharp shuriken.

"I see…" he murmured approvingly. "Not bad, Naruto! Demon Wind Shuriken: Windmill of Shadows," he realized, then disappeared in a shimmer of speed, reappearing in the air above Zabuza's head. "Take this!" he roared, flinging the weapon with all of his might. It shot towards the water clone, spinning rapidly as it picked up speed. As the clone went for his sword, his eyes widened in surprise as the bladed wheel curved around him and whistled towards the real assassin, standing on the river and holding their sensei captive.

"He went for the real one!" Ichigo realized aloud as she watched the impressive display. Their teamwork is flawless.

"That isn't enough!" the ninja roared, snapping the projectile out of the air. However, the second shuriken, hiding in the shadows of the first, still bore down upon him with incredible force. With both hands occupied, there was no way to block it. "Shadow-Shuriken Jutsu?" he grunted as the weapon danced over the surface of the river with such force that waves rolled over the water. Before they could celebrate their apparent victory, however, Zabuza launched himself in the air and the weapon passed harmlessly beneath his feet.

"He dodged it?" Sakura exclaimed in disbelief.

"Damn! So close!" Ichigo hissed, her heart breaking as their chances of survival dwindled rapidly with every move. Is there no way to beat him? Not even the three of us together… As she attempted to rise, pushing up with her arms, she shuddered violently before crumpling back to the ground. I can't… I have nothing left… she thought weakly. Suddenly there was a loud poof, and she glanced up to see that the second shuriken had transformed into none other than Naruto, a kunai in his hand and a stupid grin on his face.

"Take this!" he shouted, flinging the projectile. It shot towards the unsuspecting Zabuza, his eyes wide. With a grunt, he threw himself of the side, ripping his hand out of the swirling ball of water. The kunai shot past him and plowed into a nearby tree with a _thunk_ , but not before slicing open the large man's cheek first. As he glared at Naruto, his eyes bloodshot with rage, he spun the massive shuriken in his hand and moved to throw it.

"Naruto!" Sakura screamed, and the boy paled, unable to block it while he was falling. He won't be able to dodge it! Ichigo thought fearfully, struggling to rise once more with no success. However, before the weapon could leave Zabuza's hand, there was the sound of metal crashing against metal. Kakashi had risen from the water, blocking the blow with the metal plate on his glove and all but halting the ninja's attack. Naruto crashed into the water with a resounding splash before he came spluttering to the surface, spitting out water.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Ichigo gasped as the man glared at Zabuza, his red Sharingan eyes glinting maliciously.

"That was a great plan, Naruto," their sensei acknowledged quietly. "You guys have grown up." Naruto laughed sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck, bobbing up and down in the water, while Sasuke smirked and glanced over at Ichigo to make sure that she was all right. Ichigo, feeling a small measure of strength return to her body, forced herself into a sitting position and leaned herself up against the broad tree trunk before giving him a weary thumbs-up.

"Bah. I got distracted and released the jutsu," Zabuza mumbled.

"No, you were forced to release it," Kakashi corrected, a hint of pride in his voice for his victorious underlings. "I'll warn you- I won't fall for that twice. Now what will you do?" he mocked. Zabuza glared at him, and then suddenly they shot apart, both of them weaving hand signs and astonishing speed and muttering under their breath. It was so fast that Ichigo was hard-pressed to keep up, not that her aching body and heavily bruised middle helped her concentrate on the matter. Suddenly the water behind them began to roil, churning writhing white with foam. Naruto floundered in the waves, panicking.

"Hey, hey, hey!" he cried as his hands slapped against the water's surface.

"Water Dragon Jutsu!" The two Jonin shouted simultaneously as the river rose in a stream taking the form of streamlined dragons, spiraling through the air above their heads before colliding with a colossal splash. Water rained down in waterfalls all around the two ninja, and the river flooded its banks, surprising the three Genin and the old bridgebuilder standing on the banks. The waves slammed Ichigo up against the trunk, and she spluttered as it lapped at her throat. I'm not even fighting any more, and I still might not make it out of this alive! She thought grumpily, coughing.

"Ichigo!" Sasuke called as he waded through the water, grabbing her by the back of the shirt to pull her unceremoniously to her feet. He pulled her arm around his shoulder, holding her aloft as she leaned heavily against him. "You just had to go and get yourself all beat up," he muttered, and Ichigo rolled her eyes at him and muttered the obligatory gratuitous remark. Ugh, I won't be living this down, will I? Still, that was impressive… He must have copied it, like Sasuke said… The timing was impeccable, she thought with admiration. When the last of the water splashed into the river, Kakashi and Zabuza were locked together, blade against kunai, glaring each other in the eyes. They sprang apart, ran in a circular arc, moving in unison, Kakashi matching every movement. Zabuza grew unsettled, frowning. He moved to make a hand sign, twitching as Kakashi did the same simultaneously.

"'That eye is pissing me off!' Right?" Kakashi mocked out of nowhere, and Zabuza gasped.

"Heh… All you're doing is copying me," the assassin huffed nonchalantly, but it was clear that he was growing unnerved.

"Hell, watching it is making me unnerved," Ichigo muttered. Sasuke was silent, absorbed in the fight with narrowed eyes.

"You can't beat me, you monkey!" the yelled together, and Zabuza growled in annoyance

"Damn you! I'll make it so you will never open that monkey mouth of yours again!" he roared, nearly panting as he frantically wove hand signs. Kakashi remained calm and collected, matching every movement perfectly. Suddenly, the water began streaming behind him, then exploded in a whirlpool that enveloped Zabuza and sent him floundering into the forest. The river surged once more, covering the ground with rolling waves, causing the Genin to throw up their arms in defense and brace for impact. Ichigo grabbed a low-lying branch above her head to steady herself, her legs unable to take the brunt of the forceful water. As the water receded, the assassin crashed against a tree, coughing pitifully and on his last legs. Kakashi landed nimbly in the tree branches above him. "Can you see the future?" Zabuza whispered, almost fearfully.

"Yes," Kakashi chimed as he pulled out a kunai. "You're going to die."

"He did it!" Ichigo beamed as she dropped her arm, releasing the breath she had been holding for the last several seconds.

Before he could move an inch, two thin needles flew out of the bushes and struck the assassin right in the neck, spraying a small amount of blood before he fell forward and crashed face-first onto the ground.


	11. Chapter 10: Ichigo's Vow

"What?" Ichigo gasped, staring in surprise at the collapsed body of Zabuza lying eerily still on the soaked grass. The two needles that had pierced his neck gleamed in the sunlight filtering down from the trees above, shining silver without the hint of blood; yet, the assassin did not move, just lie scarily still with his eyes wide open and bloodshot. Kakashi cast his gaze to a tree across the clearing, and as if commanded, the Genin followed suit to see a small figure standing on a bough, his face shielded by a mask emblazoned with distinctive red markings and a symbol of waves carved into the forehead. His dark hair was tied up neatly, with a few strands framing his face blowing in the soft breeze that swept through the now silent forest.

"You were right. He's dead," the mysterious stranger mused, but there was no hint of emotion in his young voice, only a cold calculation. With a huff, Kakashi jumped down from his perch in the tree to gently place his fingers on the side of Zabuza's neck. Ichigo felt her breath catch in her throat, her eyes widening as her sensei searched for a pulse. _Please, be dead,_ she prayed. _We can't survive another fight…_ She glanced up uneasily at the stranger, who seemed formidable despite his small stature.

"No pulse," Kakashi asserted, and the four Genin and their charge released a collective sigh of relief. The newcomer hopped down lightly from the tree, landing without a sound, then bowed appreciatively to the Jonin.

"Thank you very much. You provided an opening for me," he said graciously before crouching down next to the body. "I have been hunting Zabuza for a long time…"

"You're a tracking ninja," Kakashi guessed. Not looking up from the collapsed assassin, the boy nodded.

"Indeed. Impressive deduction," he responded.

"What's that?" Naruto asked with a frown and crossed his arms as if displeased.

"They hunt rogue ninja," Sakura explained.

"Yes. A ninja's body is a wealth of information. A nation wouldn't want their trade jutsu falling into enemy hands," their teacher clarified. "Tracker ninja hunt these ninja and dispose of them, to keep those secrets safe." _An elite tracking ninja,_ she thought, impressed that the young boy could hold such a high position. She did not have much time to linger on the subject, however, as her stomach spasmed suddenly in protest to the beating it had sustained. She cried out, losing her grip on Sasuke's arm and sinking to the ground in an ungraceful heap. She curled up, trembling as her insides writhed and her muscles contracted. She wrapped her arms around her stomach gingerly, but it did not alleviate her suffering.

"She is badly injured," the strange ninja assessed as Ichigo coughed up bright red blood into the grass. Sakura ran over to her, turning her gently onto her back, which only made the flaring pain intensify. Ichigo attempted to control her breathing, sucking in deep breaths and forcing the air back out her nose.

 _Ugh…! I'm so weak… I got pummeled, and Naruto and Sasuke barely have a scratch on them…!_ she thought miserably as tears stung her eyes. Neither of her comrades looked at her in disdain, however, which she was grateful for; Naruto fluttered about, fretting, while Sasuke just watched with a mildly concerned expression. Kakashi was at her side in an instant, kneeling beside her. He gently lifted up the hem of her shirt, rolling it to just beneath her bust, but the action still sent waves of pain rolling through her body, so intense that her back arched and her feet dug into the earth. Her stomach was an ugly purple and blue mosaic of bruises, and Kakashi stared at it a long time before rolling her shirt back down. Just the fabric brushing over her skin incited her nerves to go haywire, and she gritted her teeth so hard she thought they would shatter as she writhed in agony. _My body… It's on fire!_ She thought as Sakura placed the back of her hand to Ichigo's forehead. It was cool to the touch, and Ichigo found herself exhaling slightly at the sensation, enjoying the feeling of it against her sweat-soaked skin.

"She's burning up!" Sakura gasped with a worried look at their teacher. "This is bad, Kakashi-sensei! What do we do?"

"It doesn't look like she has any internal bleeding," he reported after the quick glance over. "Still, I'm no medical ninja. Ichigo needs a doctor immediately."

"I will then take my leave," the strange boy announced as he dragged Zabuza's heavy body over his shoulder, forming a hand sign. "I must take care of the body immediately… There are many secrets it holds." Ichigo was barely aware of the boy's words as she fought for consciousness, her vision growing foggy. She vaguely heard Naruto yelling some nonsense, and she smiled despite herself, slipping into a dreamlike state. _Heh… Excited as ever, I see…_ she thought deliriously as her eyes drifted closed.

After that, everything was hazy, like she was shifting between the border of dreams and reality. She phased back into consciousness a few times, but it was hard to make out what exactly was happening as the fever worked against her mind. One time she had the sensation of being hauled on someone's back, and when she cracked an eye open she saw their collapsed sensei being supported between Sakura and Sasuke, before her vision faded away again. The next time, she saw the blurry image of a dark-haired woman kneeling beside her in an unknown room, whispering encouraging words while placing a cool towel on her burning forehead. The next, she awakened to find that her head had rolled to the side, and Kakashi was asleep across the room, his face screwed up in pain. Sakura knelt in-between them, her head bobbing as she struggled to stay awake.

The next time Ichigo found herself edging towards consciousness, the fog did not descend, but instead dissipated completely. As she struggled to comprehend the situation, she stared up at the unfamiliar wooden ceiling, and ran her fingertips over the fabric of the unknown blanket thrown over her, and felt the hardness of the unfamiliar floor beneath her. Slowly, slowly, reality trickled back to her, and she recalled the bitter battle by the river against the assassin, Zabuza Momochi. Her stomach still ached dully, but it was nothing compared to the intense agony she had felt that day. She turned her head slightly as she felt someone shift beside her, and pink hair and happy green eyes filled her vision.

"Oh, thank goodness!" Sakura beamed down at her. "You're awake at last!"

"Sakura…?" Ichigo frowned incomprehensibly. She attempted to sit up, but spluttered when her long white hair suddenly fell into her face and invaded her mouth. Spitting out the strands, she brushed them aside to find that her hair had been untied and was cascading around her in freshly washed waves. Sakura helpfully gathered Ichigo's hair into her hands, rolling it skillfully and pinning it to the top of Ichigo's head. "Ah… Thanks. Where are we…?"

"Mr. Tazuna's house," she answered before leaning over to retrieve a wet towel. As Ichigo sat up further, the one that had been soaking her forehead dropped into her lap with a wet _slap_ , staining the blanket's fabric dark. Sakura retrieved it and placed the new towel on Ichigo's forehead, grabbing her gently but firmly by the shoulders and forcing her to lay back down on the tatami mat. "Please, your fever only just broke," the girl implored. "Besides, you are in no condition to move- your bruising is still very heavy." Still mildly confused, Ichigo obeyed the girl's request nonetheless.

"Sakura… Please, tell me what happened," she requested tiredly. Even though she had just woken up, somehow the small amount of movement she had done had exhausted her immensely. Her limbs felt like lead, and it was no small feat to even speak. Sakura smiled lightly at her before settling down beside her.

"Let's see… After you lost consciousness, Naruto got very angry at the tracker ninja. I guess he felt a little intimidated that someone his age was so accomplished- not that I blame him, it is a little humbling, after all. The tracker ninja left, and then immediately, Kakashi-sensei collapsed as well. We brought you and Kakashi-sensei to the village as fast as we could, and you both have been unconscious ever since. It's been several days," she explained. "I've been helping Mr. Tazuna's daughter treat your injuries." _Ah… That explains the woman,_ Ichigo thought as the image of the blurry woman came to mind.

"I see. Thank you, Sakura," she murmured, suddenly sad. Her hands curled into fists under the blanket, shaking slightly. She hated that she had to be tended to, the only one of them beaten within an inch of her life. As she wallowed in her own self-pity, she did not realize that tears had welled up in the corners of her eyes until they spilled over, rolling down her cheeks. She sniffled in embarrassment, attempting to cease the flow. "S-sorry," she mumbled to Sakura.

"Don't apologize," the girl sighed softly, checking the towel soaking on her forehead. "I understand how you feel. Watching Naruto and Sasuke… Watching their flawless teamwork, like they didn't even need us…" she trailed off, her hand falling to the wooden floor. Ichigo's eyes widened slightly at how sad the girl looked. _I didn't even stop to think… How Sakura felt. Now that I think about it, all she could do was stand back and watch…_ she realized silently. Before she could off a word of encouragement, however, Sakura suddenly beamed and held up a triumphant fist. "But, that just means we have to work that much harder!" she grinned down at her comrade. "We can't let those two show us up! Next time, we'll give them a taste of some real girl power! Right, Ichigo?" she grinned happily. Ichigo stared up at her, stunned by her sudden resolve, then smiled kindly.

"Right," she agreed. _Right… Next time, I won't need to be rescued, and I won't get beaten up. I'll be the one giving the beating!_ Sakura stuck out her tongue, grinning, before gasping and hopping to her feet.

"Oh, that's right! I should probably go tell everyone that you're awake. Hold on, and I'll be right back!" she cried as she opened the sliding door, rushing out of the room in a flurry of bubble gum pink hair. Ichigo smiled softly as she heard the kunoichi's pounding footsteps retreat down the hallway, and she closed her eyes, imagining Zabuza's face, and the two Mist Village ninja's faces. Their sneering visages danced in the darkness, mocking, taunting- but she was not insulted by it, but filled with determination. _I'll remember that day forever,_ she vowed. _I'll never forget. I'll use that day to get stronger and stronger- so I never have to feel so helpless again. There won't be a third time. I'll be a Tsukihana that the Village Hidden in the Leaves can be proud of!_

"Heyyyyyy!" came a rowdy cry that spurred her from her thoughts, and she opened her eyes to find a flustered Naruto barreling through the open sliding door. In his haste, he lost his footing and went tumbling across the wooden floor, landing on his face with his legs splayed in the air right beside her. He twitched, then wriggled around to arrange himself into a cross-legged sitting position. "How do ya feel, Ichigo?" he asked as he leaned far forward, big blue eyes blinking with concern.

"Hello, Naruto. I'm feeling much better; thank you for asking," she smiled up at him. At the response, he broke out into a grin, resting his hands behind his head and snickering.

"I knew you wouldn't be down for the count for long! Now, if lazy Kakashi-sensei would wake up," he mumbled as he cast a seething glare towards their unconscious mentor. Ichigo laughed lightly, feeling her energy recover just from being around the boisterous ninja. She heard more footsteps to find Mr. Tazuna, his daughter, Sakura, and Sasuke entering the room. The dark-haired woman knelt beside her with a small smile, changing her towel.

"I'm glad you're on the mend! I'm Tsunami. It's good to finally see you awake, Ichigo!" she beamed down at her.

"Yeah, you had us all worried there for a second!" the old bridgebuilder smirked as he tipped his hat at her. "For a while there, I thought you might even kick the bucket…" Ichigo gasped, not having realized her injuries had been so severe, but blinked when Tsunami put her hands on her hips and whipped around to face her father.

"Don't tease her like that!" she scolded, but Tazuna only laughed heartily. Ichigo blushed lightly, humbled by all the attention. _They weren't ashamed of me…_ she thought gladly, fighting back tears. _They were so worried, but they didn't feel like I let them down…_

"Hey, Ichigo, what're you crying for?" Naruto asked abruptly, bringing his face close once more. Ichigo's face went red from both the close proximity of the boy's face and the embarrassing notion, and she hastily turned her face to the side, sputtering refusals. The room went silent for a moment, then filled with laughter, much to her mortification. After a moment, though, happiness bubbled up inside her and she began laughing as well. She laughed so hard that her stomach hurt, but she cared not; surrounded by people that cared about her, by her friends, she was the happiest she had ever been.

 _I'll get stronger… So I can protect these people. So they never have to worry about me again._


	12. Chapter 11: Zabuza Momochi Lives!

Ichigo stared down at her belly as Tsunami dabbed ointment across its surface, biting down slightly on her lip to keep the pained gasps and groans from slipping out. Though the bruising didn't look nearly as bad as when she had lost consciousness four days prior, her entire abdomen was an ugly blue-yellow, courtesy of the relentless Zabuza. _I'll make sure to repay the favor,_ she thought grumpily. She then squeaked in pain, having received a final, unexpected smear of the healing solution. She rolled her shirt down when Tsunami was finished, feeling the fabric stick uncomfortably against her skin.

"Thank you very much," she bowed her head appreciatively to the older woman. She simply smiled down at Ichigo and waved her hand dismissively.

"Don't worry about it," she chirped before rising to her feet and exiting the room to put away the medicine. Suddenly hearing some sort of commotion, Ichigo turned her head to find Naruto and Sakura leaning heavily over their still-unconscious sensei, whispering feverishly to one another as Naruto timidly reached toward the fabric eclipsing the lower half of the Jonin's face. Mildly curious, Ichigo edged closer to investigate.

"Do you think he has a mustache?" Sakura whispered as Naruto screwed up his face in concentration. "I don't think he would look good with a mustache. Well, maybe. What do you think, Naruto?"

"How the hell am I supposed to know, Sakura?" Naruto mumbled as he cast her a sharp glare. "I'm trying to concentrate here! Do you want me to wake him up?" he snapped. Unamused by his sharp tone, the kunoichi wrapped her arms around Naruto's neck to place him in a stranglehold.

"What was that? Huh?" she barked as he squirmed around helplessly in her grasp. Once he submitted, she released him and Naruto resumed his effort to remove the fabric. As his trembling fingers inched closer, Ichigo leaned forward, curious to see what the Jonin looked like under the mask; even Sasuke, who was sitting nearby, leaned around Ichigo's legs to peer at the developing situation with an expression of slight interest. Abruptly, Kakashi's eyes snapped open, and both Naruto and Sakura whirled backwards with surprised screams. Incomprehensibly, he blinked at the four Genin and rubbed his head, as if he were thinking hard about something.

"What's the matter, sensei? Do you have a headache?" Ichigo inquired, moving to retrieve Tsunami from the hallway. He shook his head, and the white-haired girl halted her advance to instead kneel down beside her troubled-looking teacher.

"Well then, what is it?" Naruto asked impatiently.

"I just happened to think about the way that tracker ninja carried off Zabuza's body," he frowned deeply. "Normally, they dispose of the body on the spot."

"What does it matter?" Naruto frowned as he crossed his arms. Sasuke sighed heavily, rolling his eyes and muttering, "You're as dumb as ever." The two began to squabble back and forth until Sakura split them up, and Kakashi continued the explanation of his concerns.

"We didn't see him dispose of Zabuza; therefore, we have no proof that he even _did_ ," Kakashi noted. By this time, Tsunami had ventured into the room, and was leaning against the doorframe with a worried expression. Tazuna was beside her, frowning deeply as the conversation progressed. "Then, we have to consider the weapon that he used to kill Zabuza…" he added. A tense silence filled the room, followed by a collective gasp of realization. Because Ichigo had been in so much pain, she hadn't even considered the method the boy had used to slay the assassin; in retrospect, using such thin needles had a rare chance to kill an enemy- but with the right knowledge, could make them _seem_ dead. _So that means…_ she thought with a growing feeling of dread.

"No way," Sasuke whispered, voicing their conclusions.

"Yes. Zabuza is alive," Kakashi nodded. As the Genin and their employer erupted into a fit of objections, Kakashi sighed and leaned back slightly on his arms. "Now that I look back on it, it is possible that Zabuza was only momentarily dead," he explained gravely. "Unless they hit a vital organ, they are hardly fatal. Tracker ninjas, however, know extensively about the body. It would be easy for them to put someone in a temporary state of death."

"So, you're saying that the tracker ninja works for Zabuza, and came to get him out of a tough spot?" Ichigo concluded. _Such an elaborate ruse… And a perfect one. Kakashi-sensei couldn't even see through it on the spot._ Tazuna, however, was not convinced.

"Are you sure that you aren't reading too much into it?" he sighed. "Tracker ninjas always kill their targets."

"We can't ignore the possibility," Kakashi asserted. "Believe me, I would like to be wrong. Regardless, even if I am wrong, Gatou has probably hired an even stronger shinobi," he finished, giving a pointed look at his underlings. As she realized what the Jonin was playing at, a big grin began to form across Ichigo's face. _That means…_ "You are all going to be training hard from now on. It takes someone who was put into such a state some time to recover."

"All right!" Naruto crowed happily, jumping to his feet and pumping his fists into the air. Despite the underlying gravity of the situation, Ichigo could not help but grow exited herself. _This means I may get a second chance! I'll put one hundred and ten percent into this training! I will not fail next time!_ She vowed determinedly. She then jumped as a small body ran in front of her, attaching itself to Tazuna, who was seated on the floor. As she glanced over, she was surprised to find a little boy.

"Inari!" Tazuna smiled warmly as he caressed the young child's head. He looked to be no older than six, but he was glaring at the ninja with a ferocity that was alarming for someone so young.

"You're all just going to die," he muttered. Ichigo felt her mouth drop open, floored.

"What did you say, brat?" Naruto snapped. Before he could whale on the grumpy child, Ichigo grabbed his arms and held him back, while Naruto just snorted like an angry bull and cried, "Say that again, squirt! I'll crush you!"

"Gatou will kill you all," the boy shrugged.

"Listen, kid! I'm gonna be Hokage someday, a hero of the Hidden Leaf Village! That creep has nothing on me!" Naruto grinned smugly. Smiling happily at the boy's conviction, Ichigo found herself nodding along. _He's probably scared, knowing such evil men are after his grandfather. He probably just needs some reassurance._

"That's right! We're all stronger than you might think. Don't worry. We'll protect your grandpa," she smiled sweetly at the boy, squatting down to reach out and pat his head reassuringly. She cried out in shock as he savagely slapped her hand away, glaring at her and Naruto with intense hate.

"Stupid! There is no such thing as heroes!" he snapped before turning on his heel and stomping to the door.

"Inari! Where are you going?" Tazuna cried with a scolding tone. Without looking back, the boy answered, "To my room. I want to look at the ocean." He then exited the room, closing the door roughly behind him. "Sorry about that," Tazuna breathed in apology, pinching the bridge of his nose in annoyance. Naruto was seething and went stomping after the young child, but Ichigo lingered behind, wondering what happened to the poor boy to make his have such a pessimistic outlook on life. _I'm sure it has everything to do with how Gatou has been terrorizing this poor family,_ she thought as she glanced over at Tsunami and Tazuna, who were looking at each other with tired, concerned expressions. Subconsciously, Ichigo balled up her fists. _It's wrong. These are good people, and they don't deserve this. I have to protect them… I have to succeed in this mission, so they don't have to suffer any more._

"Ichigo, do you think you will be well enough to train?" Sakura asked suddenly, causing Ichigo to jump as she was ripped away from her thoughts. Ichigo glanced down at her ointment-soaked shirt, feeling the bruised skin mildly complaining beneath. _As much as I would like to say yes, if I go right into training now, I may end up hurting myself further…_ she thought sadly. Swallowing tears of frustration, she beamed up at Sakura.

"Go on without me. I should be good in another day or two- just don't get too far ahead of me, okay?" she responded with a tone of false happiness. Narrowing her eyes slightly, Sakura moved to object, but Ichigo stood from the floor and exited the room before the girl could push the issue further. If she had, Ichigo would have likely broken down in bitter tears just then. She walked to the front porch of the house, where a walkway led out onto the open sea. As she walked, the planks of wood groaned under her light steps. She settled herself down on the edge of the dock, slipping her feet into the cool water and staring out at the gently rolling waves. It was then that she allowed the tears to slip free, rolling down her cheeks and splashing into the frothy saltwater. "Why are you such a crybaby, Ichigo?" she mumbled as she angrily wiped her eyes. Even that movement caused her aching muscles to spasm, and she recoiled with a gasp, curling up slightly to abate the pain. She stared down at the blue waves through her knees, watching the water move back and forth. There was something oddly calming about it. _I keep making all these promises, but can I really keep them? What if I'm… not strong enough? What if I never will be?_ she fretted.

"So, this is where you ran off to," came a sudden voice, and Ichigo glanced up to see Naruto standing a few feet behind her with his hands in his jumpsuit pockets. He walked over to plop down beside her, frowning slightly. "Sakura told me you aren't coming to training. Are you sure?" he asked, looking at her with raised eyebrows. "It's not like you to back down like that. You pin me as the type of person who would drag themselves to train on two broken legs." _Like you?_ She thought wryly, then sighed heavily and glanced back out at the waves.

"… I'm just not feeling very confident in myself right now," she admitted reluctantly. "Fist the Chunin from the Land of Waves, then Zabuza… All I've been doing is getting myself beat up. I want to train; I do, but…" she trailed off, uncomfortable. "I guess I'm just afraid that there isn't a point to it, that I won't ever be good enough. That I won't ever be strong enough to protect people like I want to do." She expected Naruto to laugh and tell her she was stupid for having such a concern, but when she looked at him, she was surprised to find that he was nodding in agreement.

"Yeah. I get it," he agreed as he swung his legs, splashing up water with every kick. "I've totally felt that way, a lot of times. Sometimes I still do. I definitely felt that way after the first attack," he told her with a small smile, pointing to the bandaged wound on his hand. "That's why I made that vow, you know? I was gonna work hard, so I wouldn't have to feel that way again- but Ichigo, you definitely aren't weak," he frowned.

"I passed out for three days after Zabuza kicked my butt," she pouted unsurely.

"Yeah, but he kicked your butt because you had the guts to stand up to him all by yourself!" he pointed out. "You put mine and Sasuke's butts in gear; if you hadn't said what you did, who knows what would have happened? You took that beating so we wouldn't have to, and _still_ tried to fight afterwards. You gotta be made of some pretty thick stuff to be able to do that," he explained with a big grin. Blushing under the praise, she smiled sheepishly at him and grabbed one of her pigtails to wind it around her hands, a nervous habit.

"You really think so?" she asked quietly.

"Totally!" he nodded emphatically and threw his hands into the air. "I mean, so what if you got all beat up? That just means you tried your hardest!" Smiling to herself, Ichigo looked down at her lap. _I… really did, didn't I?_ "Now, though, you gotta grow strong, so that next time you can give _him_ the ass-kicking!" he grinned as he patted the muscle on his arm. "You can only do that by training! That's what I always did when I felt I wasn't good enough- I _made_ myself good enough!" _You know, Naruto, you may be a knucklehead, but you really do give good advice,_ she thought as she smiled up at him and nodded.

"Okay! I've decided. Injury or no injury, I'm going to train super hard!" she decided and clapped her hands together.

"All right!" he crowed triumphantly and hopped to his feet. He held out a hand for her to take, and she grasped the offered hand, allowing him to pull her to her feet. "Let's go right now!" he grinned, pulling her across the dock towards the house. Laughing as she was dragged along, she felt like a heavy weight was lifted from her shoulders.

 _I'm on my way, Dad. I'm gonna grow strong… So I can be a kunoichi the village is proud of._

 _So I can protect them._


	13. Chapter 12: The Training Begins!

As she stood beneath the dense canopy of the trees, with sunlight filtering through the thick leaves to dapple the spongy ground below and birdsong echoing through the dense, musty air, Ichigo felt at home. She breathed deeply, drinking in the scent of tree sap and fresh dirt and light decay. _It smells just like the forest at home,_ she observed with mild delight. The familiar environment renewed her; somehow, the bruising across her middle seemed to throb slightly less now that she was among the greenery. Excitement began to course through her, and she tapped her foot impatiently as she waited for their sensei. Still exhausted from over-using his Sharingan, he was hobbling along on a pair of crutches. _I don't know how he expects to teach us anything like that,_ she thought crossly. He wobbled over to the base of a tall tree with a trunk so thick that she could likely wrap her arms around it and her fingers would never touch.

"All right. Now, let's get started," Kakashi announced contentedly, turning to face his students. The four of them were gathered in the clearing in a crude semi-circle. Sasuke had his arms crossed with his characteristic frown, Sakura was close by him, giggly as usual, and Naruto had his hands on his hips, grinning stupidly as he eagerly awaited whatever training they were about to receive. Standing beside the yellow-haired, spunky boy, Ichigo took a deep breath to prepare herself. _Wounds or no, I_ _ **will**_ _complete this training! I have to grow strong!_ She resolved. "Today, I'm going to teach you how to control your chakra," the Jonin explained.

"Eh?" Naruto cried, obviously disappointed. "We already know how to do that! How is that gonna help us defeat Zabuza?" he pouted. Kakashi-sensei sighed deeply, looking immensely tired.

"Chakra control is the foundation of many ninja skills. If you can control it well, there is no limit to what you can do- within reason, of course," he explained slowly. Naruto squinted his eyes as the gears in his brain began turning. "You can utilize chakra to perform jutsu, yes- but you have a very low level on control over it. For example, Naruto- you have a large amount of chakra, which allows you to produce a large number of your Shadow Clones. However, the amount of chakra you expend is nowhere near the amount actually required to perform that jutsu. You waste a large amount of it, and therefore run out much quicker." Naruto pursed his lips, thinking hard about what the more experienced ninja was insinuating. After a period of silence, Naruto looked slightly embarrassed as he mumbled, "Can someone explain what chakra is again?"

"Jeez, Naruto, you're hopeless," Sakura groaned as she pinched the bridge of her nose. "Did you ever once listen to Iruka-sensei's lecture? Chakra is a vital component for ninjas, the source of all jutsu. It is comprised of mental energy, the strength of the mind, and physical energy, the strength of the body. These two energies can be combined to form chakra, which in turn can be used to perform a number of jutsu and skills," she explained matter-of-factly. "Chakra runs through veins all throughout our body, tightly entwined with our circulation system. Any damage to the chakra network can have adverse effects of the body- that's how tight of a network it is." She recited it as if straight out of a textbook, and Ichigo was mildly impressed. _I knew Sakura was smart, but she really knows her stuff!_

"Very good, Sakura," Kakashi praised. The pink-haired girl beamed under the praise of her teacher, and Naruto nodded vigorously in understanding.

"Okay, okay, I gotcha," he acknowledged, a large indication that he probably didn't understand at all. Naruto was a man of action, not a man of words; understanding this, Kakashi turned on his heel and proceeded to step against the thick trunk of the tree. The Genin gasped as he easily walked up the bark, hobbling along as easily as he could on land. Once he strolled a few yards up the tree, he turned to step out onto a branch, and was soon hanging upside-down and gazing down at his students.

"Using chakra to walk up surfaces is a difficult skill to master, but the basis of learning proper chakra control. Of all the parts of the body, the soles of the feet are the most difficult to direct and maintain chakra flow," he told them. "Now, I want all of you to try. First, gather your chakra in your feet; then, run at the tree, and maintain a steady flow of chakra to adhere to the tree. Use a kunai to mark the highest point you can reach," he instructed calmly. Not so calmly at all, Naruto crowed and took a runner's stance and whipped out a kunai knife.

"All right! This will be a piece of cake!" He cried as he whipped around to face his chosen tree. Not missing a beat, his three comrades lined up beside him, prepared to dash ad they held the ninja weapons in their hands. _First, gather my chakra…_ Closing her eyes and forming the proper hand sign, Ichigo began to direct her flow of chakra to the soles of her feet. As the chakra gathered at the indicated point, the dirt pushed gently away from the tip of her boots as the energy flowed. _And… Go!_ The four of them took off in unison, rushing at the trees with blinding speed. The tree rose up to meet Ichigo, a blur of brown-black bark, and when she was close enough she jumped and planted her feet against it. Pouring chakra out of her feet, she ascended the tree rapidly; however, abruptly, she felt the bark shatter and her feet slipping against the wood. She scored the kunai deep into the bark as she began to fall. Subconsciously she reached out and grabbed at the tree, but her hands slid uselessly against the rough surface, leaving scratches behind. She cried out as she lost her balance, scrabbling down the tree and landing roughly on her behind. _Great, now another part of me is bruised!_ She moped as she tenderly rubbed her rump.

As she glanced around, she found that she was not the only one that had no success. Naruto had slid uselessly down the tree and landed on his head, while Sasuke had gotten quite a ways before he had encountered a similar problem as Ichigo. _I see… If you don't use enough chakra, you slip right off. If you use too much, you'll break the bark and be forced off._ She glanced up at the tree, narrowing her eyes at the impression of her footprint in the tree. _Wait… where is Sakura?_ She realized, glancing around the clearing. The pink-haired kunoichi was nowhere to be seen. Suddenly, a giggle echoed down from above their heads.

"Whoa, this is so much fun!" Sakura laughed delightedly as she sat perched on a thick branch close to the canopy, her legs swinging and her tongue hanging out as she basked in her achievement. Ichigo smiled, proud of her comrade for performing so well on the challenge. _Even better than Naruto and Sasuke! Good job, Sakura!_

"Whoa! Way to go, Sakura!" Naruto beamed.

"Yeah! Show them that girl power!" Ichigo agreed happily, jumping to her feet to wave excitedly at the girl. Though her stomach and chest muscles complained loudly, she was so excited for her friend that she hardly cared. Sakura laughed happily, overjoyed to be showered with praise by her comrades.

"Well, well. Looks like Sakura has the skills to back up her brains! She's running circles around you three," Kakashi teased proudly.

"Yeah, enjoy it now, Sakura, but soon we'll be running circles around you!" Naruto cried, his happiness for the girl's achievement momentarily forgotten as his pride was bruised. Growling, he whipped back around and made another charge for the tree; however, he soon came flailing down from above, landing roughly on his head once more. He had only made it a few more centimeters, as evidenced by the large scratch almost eclipsing the mark he had made on his first attempt. "Damn it!" He cursed grumpily. "All right! One more time!" He huffed and shot back to his feet, trotting back a few yards before charging at the tree again.

"Well, there's no way in hell that I'm gonna let Naruto show me up!" Sasuke huffed and whirled his kunai in his hand, dashing toward the tree.

"Right!" Ichigo cried and clapped her hands together, gathering her chakra in her feet once more. "This time I'll make it even higher!" She swore before charging the tree, jumping and adhering to it's rough bark. She surged up the side of the tree, her focus bent on keeping her chakra flow at a steady rate. The mark she had made earlier loomed closer, and she held her kunai at the ready to make a second mark. Again, the bark splintered beneath her feet just as her head passed above the mark, and she sliced the knife across the bark before jumping off the tree, somersaulting in the air and landing on the lush grass. "Gosh, this is so hard!" she huffed, then straightened up, cleared her mind, gathered her chakra, and rushed at the tree once more.

The sun sailed across the sky as the four Genin scaled the trees again and again, leaving thick, overlapping scratches in the bark to mark their slow but steady progress, several feet high. However, the light had run out, and the forest was bathed in an orange-yellow glow as the sun sank below the horizon. Covered in the dappled light, Ichigo lay on her back in the grass, chest heaving as she fought for breath. Her eyes were squeezed shut as sweat ran down her face, and the kunai slipped from her fingers and fell into the dirt. "I can't. I'm done," she gasped.

"Agreed. I'm beat," Sakura huffed, in a similar state as Ichigo. "For crying out loud."

"Ungh. Just one more," Naruto groaned, making to get up. However, his legs trembled precariously, and he stumbled back to the ground in an ungrateful heap.

"Forget it, loser," Sasuke puffed, also lying on his back and breathing deeply. They were all drained after the hard day of work. Perched among the gnarled roots of a tree reading his novel, Kakashi eyed his exhausted students before snapping the book shut and dragging himself to his feet.

"All right. That's enough for today," he called as he hobbled over on his crutches. "You all did well. We'll resume your training tomorrow."

"Can we eat now?" Naruto whined as his stomach growled loudly. Ichigo's own stomach answered the call, rumbling loudly. Sakura opened her mouth to comment, but was interrupted by her own roiling tummy; even Sasuke, in all his coolness, fell pray to his stomach's complaints. They all blinked, and then Ichigo began laughing uncontrollably. Naruto and Sakura fell into the fit of giggles as well, and Sasuke just smirked, shaking his head at their tomfoolery.

They half-walked, half-dragged themselves back to Tazuna's residence, trailing leaves and grass behind them. Tsunami had dinner waiting for them, and they happily fell upon the meal with gusto, practically inhaling everything in sight. After chatting with the family and her comrades- except for Inari, who just sat their grumpily- Ichigo wandered out of the house and onto the wooden docks, gazing out onto the sea.

It was beautiful, a black-blue expanse glittering white with starlight and moonlight. The waves beat steadily back and forth, creating a rhythmic melody. Ichigo closed her eyes and breathed in deeply, enjoying the scent of the salty spray. _It's almost as nice as the forest,_ she thought. _It wouldn't be so bad, to live by the sea._ She glanced around, taking in the ramshackle structures that marked the intense poverty of the small ocean nation. _They should enjoy it here, not live in fear…_ she realized sadly. _We have to help Tazuna finish this bridge… So he and his people can live better, happier lives._

 _To do that, we have to defeat Zabuza._ Just the thought of the elite assassin sent her blood boiling. She curled her hands into fists, her healing bruises throbbing acutely as a reminder of her failure against the brutal man. _Never again. Next time, I will be ready. I will be_ _ **strong.**_

She remained there for a long while, simply gazing out at the endless blue expanse and contemplating on the trial before her, until Sakura cheerful voice eclipsed the sound of the rocking waves. As the young kunoichi called her inside, Ichigo reminded herself of her vow one last time, then retreated into the humble household to prepare for training the next day.


	14. Chapter 13: I Will Be Strong!

Ichigo panted hard as she squatted a few yards away from the base of the tree, using the back of her hand to wipe away the sweat that was pouring down her forehead. Her silver eyes stared at the long ladder of scratch marks tracing its way up the tall, woody plant, trailing about halfway up the tall structure. _It's not good enough,_ she thought with a huff, patting her knees to psych herself up as her body wailed in complaint. Though the bruises she had received from the assassin Zabuza had almost healed completely, she had picked up a menagerie of others from tumbling down from the treetop; plus, expending chakra at such a rate was positively exhausting, and she didn't have near the amount as Sasuke and Naruto did. Their scratch marks climbed high into the trees, eclipsed from the ground by leafy branches. Having been unnerved by the level of competition, Ichigo had wandered off to another clearing so that she could be all alone and undiscouraged. _It won't stay that way for long,_ she told herself firmly, willing herself to stand up.

Her bones creaked in complaint as she stretched her arms above her head, working out her stiff muscles as she prepared for another series of runs. After she was properly warmed up, she closed her eyes and began gathering her chakra at the soles of her feet. She had found that after several days of training, it was becoming quite easy to do; after only a moment, her eyes snapped open and she gripped the kunai tightly in her hand.

"All right! Here we go!" she cried and charged at the tree, and her world turned ninety degrees as her feet made contact with the bark. Not missing a beat, she ran higher and higher, past the marks of her progress thus far. Above her head, untouched bark loomed in her vision, taunting her. _Higher! Higher! I have to go higher!_ She thought desperately as she concentrated hard on keeping the flow of chakra into the wood steady. She was five feet away from her mark, and she felt the chakra flow begin to fluctuate slightly. _Come on! You can do it!_ Three feet away, she wobbled slightly, but managed to keep ahold on the tree. _Almost there! You can make it, Ichigo!_ A half a foot away, all her will was bent on her chakra, and the leaves were a blur of green around her as she surged over the top mark- and kept going.

She ran about another yard and a half before she finally lost control, and she sliced into the tree as she jumped down from branch to branch. However, in her irritation, she misjudged the distance to one of the lower branches and overshot. Her feet slipped uselessly off of the wood, and she screamed as she went tumbling head over heels through the air. She landed roughly at the base of the tree, and gasped as fiery pain rocketed up her entire leg. Groaning, she rolled onto her back and tenderly held her ankle as tears formed in her eyes. _Don't be broken, please, don't be broken, not now, not now,_ she begged as she sucked in air, rocking back and forth to channel the nervous energy.

"Are you all right?" called a soft voice. Her vision blurred by tears and blinding pain, Ichigo gingerly lifted her head, searching for the source of the voice. Across the clearing, what appeared to be a young woman was standing, holding a wicker basket filled with some sort of herbs. Their features weren't clear; all Ichigo could tell was that the individual was dark-haired, and young, probably no older than she. As the young ninja made to sit up, her ankle brushed against a root, and she collapsed in another spasm of pain.

"Nooooo," she wheezed in a high-pitched voice.

"Here. Let me help you," the young woman offered, and quietly walked across the clearing to kneel at the kunoichi's side. Ichigo whimpered as the stranger gently teased off her boot, revealing her injured ankle. It was already beginning to turn red with swelling, and the young kunoichi feared the worse as the young girl stared hard at the injured foot. "Don't worry. It's not broken," she reassured with a smile, and pulled some bandages out of the folds of her kimono. "Luckily for you, I always carry around spare medicine supplies."

"Thank you," Ichigo huffed as the girl wound the bandages tightly around her ankle, making her jerk slightly. The pain was beginning to lessen, but she supposed she would not be able to walk on it for another fifteen minutes at least; training for the rest of the day was absolutely out of the question. _I was making a breakthrough, too,_ she pouted.

"It was quite reckless of you to be climbing a tree like that," the girl scolded lightly as she checked over her handiwork to ensure it was bound properly. Ichigo sat up, pulling leaves out of her pigtails, and looked at the girl. As she peered close, she was shocked to find that the woman was in fact a _he. Oh my, he's prettier than most girls. If I had only given a passing glance, I would have been totally fooled!_ She thought, glad she had noticed before she made a fool of herself. Tucking one foot underneath her and leaning back to prop the foot on a root and reduce the swelling, she smiled cheekily at the pretty boy.

"I wasn't just climbing," she explained. "I'm training."

"Training?" the boy repeated with widened eyes. "Whatever for?" Ichigo smiled wider and pointed at her headband, right at the leaf symbol edged into the metal.

"I'm a ninja, you see, and I'm training hard so that I can become strong," she answered. _So I can beat Zabuza into a bloody pulp,_ she thought bitterly, and she must have had a frown on her face, because the boy seemed perturbed.

"Strong? Is there someone you wish to defeat?" he asked.

"Sort of. When we first arrived in this country, we ran into a really bad character. He gave me a real bruising," she sighed, and the ghosts of her injuries made her abdomen hurt. "My comrades had to save me. I felt so weak," she admitted begrudgingly. "I don't ever want to feel like a burden again, so I'm training so that they don't have to worry about me. I want to be able to hold my own, you know? Maybe I can repay the favor and save them someday," she chuckled, feeling slightly embarrassed to be pouring her heart out to a complete stranger. However, the boy nodded in understanding.

"I see. It sounds like you care a lot about your comrades," the boy smiled. Ichigo cocked her head to the side as she considered the comment. _Huh. I haven't really thought about it, but despite the short time we've been together, I have grown fond of them…_ She enjoyed Sakura as female company, and admired how intelligent she was. Though he was arrogant and prideful, Ichigo could not deny that Sasuke had skill, and she also looked to him as a role model. Even Naruto, the knuckle-headed klutz, she admired immensely for his determination and bubbly personality. They all had contributed so much to her growth, and she hadn't even realized it. Before Ichigo knew it, a large smile had split her face.

"Yeah! I really do care about them!" she agreed.

"So, you want to protect them?" the boy asked. The question struck a chord with her. _Protect and defend. The Tsukihana clan motto… Our entire purpose in life._

"Absolutely!" she smiled warmly, and the strange boy returned the smile kindly.

"I see. Then, I don't think you have to worry too much," he responded with a slight chuckle. Ichigo blinked, not quite understanding just what the boy was getting at. Sensing her confusion, he continued, "You see, when someone has something precious to them that they want to protect, they grow incredibly strong. If you truly desire to protect those closer to you, then you will reach your goal."

"Oh," Ichigo murmured. _I see… That makes sense._ Protecting her friends, and protecting Tazuna and his country, had largely the motivation for Ichigo to train as hard as she has. She had already grown so much in the span of a few short days. Abruptly, the boy stood up, retrieving his basket of herbs. "Are you leaving?" she asked, slightly disappointed. The young boy was good company.

"Yes. I am afraid that I must be on my way," he confirmed, and then smiled brightly down at her. "I can tell that you are very determined. You _will_ grow stronger. I can see it." And, with that final statement, the boy disappeared in the greenery, leaving Ichigo by herself. She stared after him, playing the conversation over and over again in her mind. _If I desire to protect something… I will grow very strong._ Suddenly renewed, she hopped to her feet and delicately placed weight on her ankle. She winced slightly at the bolt of pain that shot up her leg, but it wasn't nearly what it was, and definitely manageable.

"I still have sunlight left," she decided, grinning in resolve. "By the time the stars come out, I will have made it three-fourths of the way up! That's my goal!" Grabbing her kunai knife, she set back to work, racing up the tree, falling back down again, dragging herself back up, and starting the whole process over. The forest darkened and the birdsong faded, replaced by the hooting of owls and the occasional howling of wolves; yet, Ichigo pushed herself onward, until she was sweating bullets and gasping for breath. _It's not enough. I have to be stronger, stronger, and stronger still!_

By the time the rest of her team came looking for her, she was laying against the thick trunk of the tree, completely unable to move and staring through the leaves at the glittery stars above, with a big smile on her face.

"Goodness, look at you," Sakura huffed as she stopped in front of the exhausted girl, her hands on her hips. "You look like you've been to Hell and back. Look, even one of your pigtails is undone!" she cried, grabbing the girl's loose white hair and waving it around. Ichigo had not noticed, to be frank, and she just sniggered at the girl's scolding. "It's not funny! You could've died out here, and we wouldn't have known! Jeez, you're just as bad as Naruto. He's been falling asleep in the woods all week!"

"It's because I've been _training,_ Sakura," Naruto muttered grumpily. The boy also looked just as disheveled as Ichigo, clothes rumpled and covered in dirt, and his body marked with bruises and scratches. He screwed up his face as he glared up at the tree, his bright blue eyes tracing the progress the determined kunoichi had made. "Hey, you made it all the way up there, Ichigo?" he beamed and pointed emphatically at the upper story of the tall pine tree. Ichigo nodded delightedly.

"Mhmm. And tomorrow, I'm gonna make it to the very top!" she grinned stupidly and moved to give him a thumbs-up, but her arm just flopped uselessly. "Whoops," she laughed, and then slumped over a sudden wave of dizziness washed over her. As her vision danced, Sasuke rolled his eyes at her.

"You aren't making it anywhere like that, loser," he sighed, but he was smirking, and Ichigo took that as the best sign of his approval that she would obtain.

"All right, that's enough for tonight. If you use any more chakra, you are liable to die," Kakashi sighed heavily. He had been off the crutches for about a day now, completely recovered, and so the Jonin crouched down and lifted her easily into his arms. Ichigo's head swam at the change of altitude, and all she could do was mumble nonsense as she struggled to form cohesive thoughts.

"Naruto, you've been encouraging her to pull stupid stunts like this, haven't you? I do need two knuckleheads to look after!" Sakura scolded the blonde boy, bonking him repeatedly on the head with her fist. Naruto cried out in protest, running away from the pink-haired girl's barrage.

"Nuh-uh! I didn't say anything! Honest!" he whined as he and the girl ran in circles around their sensei. Ichigo giggled at the exchange, watching their blurry forms flash by.

 _I want to protect them. Always,_ she thought as her consciousness faded, and she slumped over, held securely in the arms of her sensei and surrounded by her trusted comrades.


	15. Chapter 14: The Land of Heroes

Ichigo could barely taste the food as she shoveled it into her mouth, barely gasping for breath before stuffing her cheeks to the point of bursting. She was practically starving after yet another day slaving away in the woods, struggling to make progress up the side of the tree. After her triumph the day before, she had reached somewhat of a slump, and was only inching her way forward while Naruto and Sasuke were gaining remarkable ground on her. She hated the idea of the two boys stealing her thunder, and so she was eating as fast as possible in order to replenish her strength and hopefully return to the training ground to get in some night training. As she gulped down a glass of water, she raised her eyebrows and Naruto and Sasuke simultaneously leaned over the side of the table to upchuck all of the food they had inhaled in the last few minutes.

"Don't eat if you're gonna just throw it up!" Sakura cried angrily as the pair of boys sat up, wiping their mouths and halting at each other. As her stomach began to churn, Ichigo decided that slowing down would probably be a better idea, lest she spill her dinner all over the floor like her comrades.

"I gotta eat! I have to do better than Sasuke," Naruto muttered. The raven-haired boy made a face at him, not deigning to reply. As the three Genin began to squabble, a very quiet Inari suddenly jerked backwards in his chair and hopped down from his seat.

"What does it matter?" he snapped with a sniff, the shadow of his hat hiding his eyes as be hung his head. His little fists were balled up in anger, and when he glared up at him Ichigo was surprised to see tears in his eyes. "You're all gonna die!" he shouted at them. "No matter how much you train, it doesn't matter! Gatou will _kill_ you!"

"Inari, that's enough!" Tsunami scolded, but the damage had been done. Naruto promptly stalked around the table and pounded the little boy on the top of the head, sending a chorus of gasps around the room.

"Listen here, buster. I don't know what kind of hang-up you have, but I'm gonna tell you one thing- _I don't plan on dying anytime soon._ I'm gonna be Hokage one day! I'm not gonna be told by some sniveling brat what I will and won't do. You're nothing but a _coward!"_ The scathing insult seemed to not the little boy hard, and he began sobbing and ran out of the room without so much as another quip. Sakura instantly began berating the blonde boy, but he just plopped down grumpily in the chair, muttering about the moody boy.

"Why is Inari so… pessimistic?" Ichigo wondered aloud. Seeing the boy with such a negative outlook on life surprised her, and she could not help but believe there was a reason behind his distress. Tazuna sighed deeply and leaned back in the chair. It was then that Sakura noticed a picture on the wall, on that had a portion ripped away.

"Does it have to do with that picture? Who's missing?" She inquired politely.

"It's Inari's father," the old man responded slowly. "Not his true father, mind you, but as much as a father the boy had. He was what you would call… a _hero._ "

"A hero?" Naruto echoed, his could mood forgotten as the word caught his interest. The ninja leaned forward to listen to Tazuna's tale, their eyes wide and ears open to learn the source of Inari's lack of hope.

"Yes. It all began one day when Inari was very young. A gang of bullies had stolen his dog, Poochie, and my grandson had chased them all the way to the dock… However, Inari was much younger and weaker than the boys, and could not get Poochie back. To further torment the child, one of them threw the dog into the water and ordered Inari to jump after him, knowing full well that he could not swim. Inari hesitated, naturally, and so the boys decided to push him in and leave him to drown. Poochie, meanwhile, had learned how to dog paddle and abandoned Inari," he began. _How awful,_ Ichigo frowned. Having been on the receiving end of bullies due to her clan heritage and odd appearance to boot, she could only imagine how tormented Inari felt.

"Did he drown?" Naruto whispered tearfully, earning a slap to the back of the head from a certain pink-haired kunoichi.

"Yes, Naruto, he drowned and has returned to the world as a zombie. Of course not, you idiot!" she snapped while the blonde rubbed his head tenderly.

"Luckily for Inari, a fisherman was nearby and reached the boy. His name was Kaiza, and he was a strong man who believed very much in protecting what was important to him. He taught Inari the meaning of strength that day, and Inari took very much to him," he continued. "It wasn't long before Inari could not be separated from him, and he married Tsunami," he added, glancing at his daughter, who was just staring despondently down at her plate.

"Though Kaiza earned Inari's respect, it wasn't until a certain incident that he was known throughout our town as a hero. After a torrential rain storm, one of the floodgates burst open and threatened to flood half the town. Kaiza leaped into the water to close the gate, fighting the current and performing the impossible. He saved the town that day, and Inari looked up to him as a hero," he explained, then sighed deeply. "However… That all changed when Gatou came. Kaiza stood up to the gang lord, and they beat him black and blue before dragging him out into the streets. The executed him, in front of all the town… Right in front of Inari," he finished sadly. "Since then, Inari has never been the same. He lost all hope… And he isn't the only one. There are very few of us who have any faith anymore."

As the miserable tale came to a conclusion, Ichigo's heart bled for the poor little boy. She could not imagine someone you deeply cared about slain in front of your eyes, especially when you were so young. _Damn that Gatou,_ she cursed, her hands tightening into fists.

"That doesn't give him an excuse to mouth off like that," Naruto snorted.

"Naruto! How can you say that?" Sakura snapped. Even Ichigo was appalled that he would make so lightly of the little boy's suffering. Huffing, Naruto stuffed his hands in his pockets and marched out of the house.

"Whatever. You wouldn't get it," he muttered, slamming the door shut behind him. Sakura threw her hands in the air in exasperation, Sasuke rolled his eyes, and Kakashi sighed, but Ichigo cocked her head to the side in curiosity, wondering what Naruto meant. As the others began exiting the kitchen to go about their business, Ichigo walked out of the house and onto the wooden dock. Naruto sat at the edge, dangling his feet into the water as he stared forlornly out at the sea. Ichigo slowly approached him, unsure if he would snap at her if she approached; he made no move to do so, and so she quietly sat down beside him and gazed out at the shifting water.

"Are you okay?" She asked him gently, and he shrugged, not looking at her.

"Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?" he huffed as he hunched forward slightly, a large indicator that he was more bothered by Inari's fit than he was letting on. Patient, Ichigo just stared at him until his blue eyes slowly slid towards her, and he sighed heavily when their eyes met. "It's just… The little kid makes me so mad. He sits there and whines about his situation, but he doesn't do anything about it. He's a coward, and I guess it bothers me more because… I've been there. That could've been me," he admitted slowly. Ichigo's eyes widened at his confession, having not expected such an answer; however, she considered his childhood, how he grew up all alone with hardly any friends, and she reasoned that it was not as unexpected as one would think.

"I understand," she nodded, glancing back out at the water. She understood why Inari liked gazing at it so much. It was calming, watching the waves dance back and forth under the setting sun. "But," she added hesitantly, "I don't think you should hold it against him too much. He's just a little boy. He needs guidance, not to be yelled at."

"I know, but he pissed me off," Naruto sighed and squinted out at the water, pouting slightly. "I don't know why he hates me so much."

"Because he wants to be you," she replied simply. His blue eyes widened slightly, and she leaned back on her hands, smiling at him. "I mean, think about it. Inari hates his own weakness, but he feels powerless to change it. He sees you, someone who is virtually fearless and constantly working to better himself, and he's jealous. He wants to be like you, but he's too prideful to ask for help, and too afraid that he'll fail." After she explained, he nodded slowly in understanding.

"Jeez, Ichigo, you sure know people," he frowned, mildly impressed. She waved a hand dismissively, but inside she was beaming, happy to be praised. "Think I should apologize to him?" he asked as he leaned back to peer uncertainly at the house.

"No. Kakashi-sensei went to talk to him. You two would probably end up in another fight," she teased, punching him teasingly in the arm. He whirled around to glare at her, then grinned and returned the punch.

"Yeah, yeah. Not my fault he's annoying," he snorted and crossed his arms.

"Hey, Naruto, Ichigo!" they heard a voice calling, and they both turned around to see Sasuke leaning in the doorway with a small smirk on his face. "Want to go to the woods?" he asked, jabbing a thumb towards the cluster of trees on the opposite bank.

"Hell, yeah! I'm making it to the top this time!" Naruto beamed, jumping to his feet and racing across the dock. As Naruto raced by him, heading for the trees, Sasuke cried out and jumped out of the door to take off after him.

"Oh! Wait for me!" Ichigo cried and scrambled to her feet, running after the two retreating forms. Attracted by the sound of boots pounding in wood, Sakura poked her head out of a window to investigate; as she saw her three comrades racing away from the house, shouting taunts at each other as they raced on another, she shouted after them.

"Hey! It's dark! You can't go- oh, brother. They won't listen to me anyway," she sighed, shaking her head and retreating into the house as Ichigo shot by. Though she had a late start, she kept pace with the boys, trailing them as they disappeared under the canopy and leaped through the trees. They were neck and neck as they exploded into the clearing, startling a young vixen and sending her scurrying off into the bushes.

"Ha! I win!" Naruto panted.

"No way, loser. I was here first," Sasuke retorted.

"Ichigo, did you see?" Naruto asked as he glared at the dark-haired boy. Sparks flew through the air as they glowered at one another, and Ichigo decided it best to call a tie, as there wound be no resolution to the argument that would ensue if she picked one of them. "I guess there's no other way to resolve it, then. First on to the top wins!" Naruto grinned, whipping out a kunai and spinning it in his hand.

"Your funeral, Naruto," Sasuke smirked, gripping his knife tightly.

"Hey, don't forget about me!" Ichigo protested as she shoved both of them aside, stomping over to a tree with a grin. "Keep arguing with each other and I'll leave you both in the dust!" she mocked.

"Don't hold your breath," Sasuke snorted as he got in position.

"Yeah, Ichigo, you don't stand a chance against the next Hokage!" Naruto grinned at her. They then took off for the trees, racing up the side and disappearing into the canopy as they climbed higher and higher.

It was a few hours, but Ichigo thought all the sweat, blood, and frustration had been worth it as she stared out at the sea of green before her, shining silver as the moonlight shone down from the dark sky. She had one hand on the top of the tree, holding onto it for support as she balanced on the uppermost branch, no more than a few inches thick. It shook as the breeze blew, making her totter and cling tighter to her support.

"Shall we go home?" Sasuke called, smirking with his arms crossed as he stood on a branch, outlined by the white of the moon behind him. Naruto snickered in response, wrapped around the top of a tree like a bear. They were all covered in bruises and scratches drenched in sweat, and panting with exhaustion, but all of them could not help but smile as they basked in their triumph.

"Yeah!" Ichigo called to him as a harsher wind blew, causing them all to cling to the tree and gasp as they wobbled precariously.

"You know, I forgot to keep up with who got up here first," Naruto frowned, squinting as he tried to calculate it in his mind.

"Don't bother, Naruto," she laughed. _It doesn't matter. We all made it. We all did it… Together._

When they stumbled in, Sasuke and Ichigo supporting an exhausted Naruto between them, Sakura and Kakashi were there ready to scold them for running off into the night. Of course, at the first opportunity, Naruto announced their victory proudly.

"We went all the way to the top! All three of us!" the blonde boy beamed, and even Inari's eyes widened with mild surprise.

"Really? Well then," Kakashi mused, arms crossed. "Tomorrow, you will join Sakura in guarding Tazuna and his workers on the bridge." Naruto threw up his arms in excitement, but the motion caused both she and Sasuke to lose their balance, and they all fell to their rears on the floor. Naruto was laughing and crowing with joy, while Sasuke complained, but Ichigo just smiled. _We made it. We're one step closer._

 _Zabuza Momochi… I am coming for you._


	16. Chapter 15: Battle on the Bridge

"I feel bad leaving Naruto there," Ichigo frowned as she walked with her team and the old bridgebuilder down an old worn path. The bridge loomed in the distance, peeking over the treetops.

"He needed to rest," their sensei explained casually as he strolled along, reading his novel with mild interest. "He wouldn't have done much good in such a state. It was for the best." Despite his sound reasoning, Ichigo still felt immensely guilty for leaving the spunky ninja behind. _He trained so hard, and he can't even be here…_ Regardless of how she felt, they marched on to the bridge, unsure of just what they would find there.

"What's this?" Tazuna cried in shock. They had arrived onto the bridge to find the construction site ransacked and the construction workers lying bleeding and unconscious on the concrete. Tazuna ran over to them, kneeling beside one of the wounded men. "What happened?" he whispered as he gently lifted up the man's head. He just groaned loudly and mumbled some nonsense, but they did not have to wait long for an answer. Ichigo felt the hairs on the back of her neck begin to rise. _It's him. He's here,_ she thought, slowly turning around. Sure enough, standing a few yards away was the Demon Swordsman of the Mist, the assassin Zabuza Momochi- and beside him was the young "tracker ninja." _So it's true. He was his accomplice after all._

"Well, well. We meet again, Kakashi," Zabuza smirked at them. His hand was resting on the hilt of his mighty greatsword, and Ichigo felt her fingers begin to twitch in anticipation. _This is it. This is what I have been waiting for._ She blinked, and they were suddenly surrounded by six water clones of the beastly swordsman. Unlike the last time, however, she was not afraid. _I can do this._ _ **I can do this,**_ she told herself firmly.

"Why don't you show him how much you've been training?" Kakashi suggesting calmly. Ichigo looked at Sasuke, and they both smirked confidently; Ichigo whipped her sword from its sheath, springing forward at the clones. Before they could even move, she had weaved between them, slicing them open and sending water spraying through the air. She glanced over her shoulder to see that Sasuke had performed similarly, and now they were just surrounded by puddles of water instead of clones.

"Hmph. They're fast, I'll give you that," Zabuza frowned slightly. _He still underestimates us. That will be his last mistake!_ Ichigo thought angrily, and she grasped her sword tightly in her hands, taking off for the swordsman. Her feet kicked up water as she shot over the concrete, and she heard the blade singing as it sliced through the air. However, before she could reach the assassin, the young boy shot forward to intercept her. As her blade came down, he stopped her with one of his throwing needles. Despite her blade being much larger, he stopped her completely, and their hands shook as they attempted to overpower one another. _He's strong,_ she thought as she gritted her teeth.

The boy abruptly sprang away from her as a flash of blue shot by, and then he was tangling with Sasuke.

"You're both impressive. Fast, and strong- but I'm afraid that you won't be able to defeat me," the boy told them coldly.

"That's what you think," Sasuke hissed with a smug smirk. They spring apart again, and the dark-haired Genin smiled confidently at her. _Let's do this!_ Together, they dashed at the boy, swinging their weapons. The boy was fast, to his credit, as he continuously dodged and weaved between them, throwing sparks as their blades collided. Water danced as they splashed across the bridge, neither party gaining any ground. Zabuza was watching with interest off to the side, standing next to a very grumpy looking Kakashi, and Sakura was standing protectively in front of Tazuna. _This could go on forever! There are two of us and we still can't get the better of them!_ She thought in frustration. Angered, she charged at the boy, bringing down her sword with a fury. Steel rang as their weapons collided again and again. _I won't lose to you! I can't lose to you!_ She thought as she scowled. As she brought her sword down over her head, the boy stopped her once more. She could not see any emotion under the mask, but to her frustration, he seemed as calm as could be. She stuffed her hand into the pouch strapped to her thigh, whipping out her kunai knives; hoping to catch the boy off guard, she flung them at him, but he just deflected them expertly. It was so fast that Sasuke or Ichigo couldn't get an opening, and they just stood stiffly as the boy gazed levelly at them.

"I underestimated the both of you," he told her quietly, and gave her a kick to the middle, sending her stumbling backwards. Sasuke jumped over her head to clash with the masked boy. "I won't be making that mistake again. This is the end," he continued darkly, and as Ichigo regained her footing, she watched in horror as the boy began weaving hand signs with one hand. "See, I have the advantage here. _You're surrounded by water,_ " he hissed. Ichigo glanced down, feeling the water shift between her feet, and it began rising into the air. The temperature suddenly began to drop, so much so that her breath began to fog in the air.

"Ichigo! Get out of here!" Sasuke shouted, and the next thing she knew, his foot had collided with her chest. She went sailing through the air, head over heels, just as the water began to take the form of icy mirrors. She narrowly avoided crashing into one, landing safely beyond the strange jutsu. She cried out in pain as the landed, the impact jarring her entire body, but hastily scrambled to her feet as soon as she recovered. The area where she and Sasuke had been battling the young boy was now surrounded by dozens of frosty ice mirrors. She could barely see Sasuke inside, looking around anxiously.

"Sasuke! Are you okay?" she called to him.

"I'm fine!" he shouted back to her. Then he began screaming horribly, like he was in unimaginable pain. She saw him crouch down, covering his head, but she could not see what was assaulting him; all she could see was the air shimmering slightly, flashing with light for a brief instant before disappearing. Ichigo just hovered beyond the ice mirrors, twitching anxiously. _I want to do something, but what? I can't go in there, or I'll end up in the same situation!_ She thought. Sasuke stopped screaming, and she could not see what was happening. Abruptly, the inside of the icy prison was alive with fire, burning red and orange and yellow. Ichigo jumped back as the sudden blast of heat surged through the small gap, and flames licked at her, singing the end of her shirt. _Of course! The fire will melt the ice!_ She thought with a grin. It faded as the ice remained as thick and cold as ever, barely influenced by the raging heat.

"What…?" she gasped. She heard Zabuza laughing behind her, and she glanced over her shoulder to see him chuckling as he held an angry Kakashi at bay.

"A little fire won't melt Haku's ice," he mused darkly. "Your boy is dead. There is no saving him, Kakashi. Don't worry. The rest of you will be joining him soon," he added with a laugh. Kakashi was glaring daggers at him, but was currently locked in a struggle with the much larger man. _Kakashi-sensei is so strong, to be able to hold a monster like that,_ she thought in mild admiration, and then turned her attention back to the mirrors.

"Well, if they won't burn, then they'll break!" she cried, taking her sword in her hands and swinging it with all her might at one of the mirrors. As the steel blade crashed into the icy mirror, every bone in Ichigo's body shook violently. Her ears rang with the singing of the steel, and when the strange sensations ebbed away she looked at the mirror to find that sure had not made a scratch on it at all. "How…?"

"Give it up. You're still just brats, no matter how much training you think you've had," Zabuza smirked widely, obviously confident in his young apprentice. Sasuke began screaming again, and all she could do was stare hopelessly at the crystal ice prison.

"Sasuke!" she cried and began driving her sword into the mirror, but it was the same result over and over, and soon she was left achy and breathless. Zabuza was laughing cruelly at her, and the sound of his mocking chuckles set her blood on fire. _I can't believe it… Even after all that training, it's still the same… We can't do anything. And we don't have Naruto here! We don't stand a chance!_ As hopelessness filled her, she lowered her sword, and all she could hear was Sasuke screaming and Zabuza laughing.

 _No. No, it can't be like this. We've come too far; it can't end like this!_ She thought in frustration and began slamming her blade into the mirror again. Suddenly, the boy appeared in the mirror, and hostility poured off of him like a tsunami. Startled, Ichigo stumbled back, and then she flew backwards, pain blossoming in her body. She landed in front of Sakura, and looked up weakly to see that she was covered in the throwing needles. Every movement sent fire through her nerves, and it was all she could not to scream in agony as she reached up to pluck the needles from her skin. There was barely any blood, and as soon as she pulled them out, the pain faded away. _I can imagine why Sasuke is in so much pain now,_ she thought as she glared at the two-dimensional image of the boy standing in the mirror, still glaring.

"Stay out of this fight. Don't make me kill you," he warned before his image disappeared in a flash. Ichigo angrily tossed the slim projectiles aside, watching as they clattered on the concrete. _I hate this,_ she thought as Sakura kneeled down beside her worriedly.

"Ichigo, are you okay?" she cried as she helped her remove the remainder of the needles. She grunted in pain each time the girl ripped them out of her. "There, that's the last of them. Are you okay? Can you move?" she murmured as she frowned down at her comrade. Groaning, Ichigo forced herself to sit up and made sure that all her limbs were functional. _Strange. He didn't hit a single one of my vitals…_ she realized.

"Yes, I'm fine," she huffed as she rose to her feet, taking her sword back in her hand. "That is one tough jutsu. I can't break it, but if I try to go in there, I'll be right in the same situation Sasuke is. God, I feel so useless!" she cried as she stomped her foot in frustration. "I wasted all my kunai fighting Zabuza's sidekick, so I can't even give him a weapon. He's defenseless in there…"

"Well, that's something that _I_ can do!" Sakura huffed as she brought one of the knives out. She glanced at Zabuza, who was tied up with Kakashi still, and then ran at the ice mirror prison. "Sasuke!" she called as she sprang into the air, flinging the kunai right for him. Sasuke jerked toward the sound of her voice, and then reached out to catch the oncoming projectile. _Catch it! Defeat that jerk!_ She prayed silently.

Then Haku shot out from one of the mirrors, extending half of his body from the ice to catch the kunai. He glared at Sakura, and the pink-haired girl's eyes widened with fear as he exuded an aura of rage.

"You are testing my patience," he growled. "I've war-" he was suddenly interrupted as a shiruken scored him across the side of his mask, making his head snap to the side. As he looked for the source of the attack, smoke exploded on the bridge, and Ichigo heard a familiar voice laughing cheerfully.

"Don't worry! Naruto Uzumaki has arrived to save the day!" their pink-haired companion shouted as the smoke cleared, and Ichigo did not know whether she should feel relieved or annoyed.

 _Maybe he shouldn't have made such a flashy entrance, but… Now that he's here, we can get down to business!_


	17. Chapter 16: Ichigo's Revenge!

"Naruto!" Ichigo cried out in joy as the blonde boy appeared from the flashy fog, grinning stupidly as he pointed at Zabuza. Though she was glad to see him, the others all seemed annoyed.

"Naruto… If you're going to make a surprise attack, you probably shouldn't make so much noise," Kakashi groaned as he pinched the bridge of his nose. Sakura muttered under her breath about how much of an idiot the boy was, and Tazuna just looked simultaneously amazed and irritated. Naruto was completely unaware of his mistake, as he was prancing around happily boasting about himself and his cleverness. Then he caught sight of the massive jutsu that currently held Sasuke prisoner, and he narrowed his eyes with a deep frown.

"Hey, Sasuke's in there, huh?" he asked, pointing at the crystal ice mirrors. In response, he got another round of his comrade screaming in pain. Next thing Ichigo knew, he had taken of and was squirming through one of the gaps between the mirrors.

"Naruto!" Ichigo cried out, but the boy's legs were already slipping through the gap, and she exhaled deeply as he vanished into the icy prison. _Oh, he's going to get himself killed! I have to go after him!_ She thought as she tightened her grip on her sword and ran for the mirrors. She squeaked as a large shape suddenly appeared in front of her, and she barely had time to throw up her blade to block Zabuza's oncoming fist.

"That's far enough. I wouldn't want Haku to take out _all_ the competition," he grinned darkly at her, and Ichigo's arm shook violently as he pushed at her with his massive fist, so hard that blood began to dribble from his knuckles as the edge of the blade sliced into his skin. The girl jumped back, putting some distance between herself and the large assassin. She held up her blade, and she swallowed as she saw the tip of her blade trembling slightly. _No. No, no, you can't be afraid!_ She told herself firmly, taking a deep breath and closing her eyes to calm herself down. _You've done all this training. You've grown so strong! You can do this!_ She opened her eyes once more, and she held her sword steady as fire blazed in the silver depths. "Oh. Now this is interesting," Zabuza smirked.

"I'm not afraid of you," she growled at him. She cried out as she was suddenly shouldered aside by Kakashi, who held an arm firmly across her chest and pointed a kunai threateningly at the assassin.

"Oh, Kakashi, don't be such a stiff," Zabuza whined, grabbing his large greatsword and swinging it off his back. It embedded itself into the bridge, cracking the pavement with the force. "The girl wants to fight me, so let her fight me! Don't you have any faith in your precious student?" he mocked snidely. Her sensei was unamused, however; he glared levelly at the large assassin, his Sharingan, shining red. "Well then. Let's play a game, shall we?" he grinned, and Ichigo felt her blood run cold as he made a familiar handsign. _The Hidden Mist jutsu?!_ She thought fearfully as the bridge descended into mist.

"Ichigo," Kakashi told her firmly. The mist was so thick that she could barely see him, just a rough figure of his outline, so she held on to his arm, the only thing that cemented him to her. "There's no need to be afraid," he told her softly. Abruptly, he gasped and took off, and Ichigo stumbled forward as his arm ripped away from her.

"Kakashi-sensei?" she cried fearfully, terrified to be left alone in the thick mist while a bloodthirsty assassin ran amok. She gripped her sword so tightly that her knuckles turned ghostly white. _Don't be afraid. Don't be afraid. I am strong, I am strong!_ She told herself repeatedly. She slowly walked through the fog, eyes wide as she tried to make out something, anything. _Don't be afra-_ She shuddered violently as a high-pitched scream pierced the air. "Sakura!" she gasped, running towards the sound of the scream. A rough, black smudge appeared, growing larger as she ran towards it, and it slowly took the form of the old bridgebuilder, a terrified Sakura, a bloody Kakashi, and a gleeful Zabuza. Her sensei was hunched over, bleeding heavily from a gash deep into his chest, and he was panting heavily. _I see. He knew Zabuza would target the bridgebuilder!_ She realized.

"Nicely done, Kakashi. Too bad you don't be able to do it twice," Zabuza smirked as he raised the sword once more, high over his head. Sakura gasped and planted herself protectively in front of the bridgebuilder, holding up her kunai threateningly. _She doesn't stand a chance like that!_ She thought in panic, and as Zabuza went to bring the blade down, she threw herself in the way to block the oncoming blow. The force of his swing sent her down to one knee, and her arms trembled as he pushed down on her.

"Go! Get out of here!" she hissed to the pink-haired girl, and she obediently grabbed the old man by the hard and took off running, disappearing into the fog. Zabuza retracted his blade, stepping back to glare pointedly at the young ninja. Ichigo stood up slowly, rolling her aching shoulders before holding up her blade offensively. A vicious smile crept onto his face as he regarded his small opponent, and she tried not to shudder at the obvious bloodlust in his eyes. _Don't be afraid._

"Ichigo! Get back!" Kakashi cried and moved to intervene, but he then groaned and clutched at his gaping wound.

"You need to recover, Kakashi-sensei," she insisted firmly. "I can hold him off until you're back on your feet!"

"I'm definitely going to kill you, brat," Zabuza snarled, and then they sprang at one another. Ichigo dashed through the mist, feeling the water vapor crash into her skin. As the large man loomed over her, his massive blade cleaving the air in two, she swung her blade to meet him. Sparks flew as steel collided, dancing across the concrete pavement and skittering past their feet. Again and again their swords crashed in the mist, making light dance through the fog and illuminate their shadowy forms. Their feet glided across the bridge as they were locked in their deadly dance, spinning around and around each other as they met each other with every strike. He was beginning to get annoyed, she noticed, and he grunted as he abruptly swung the blade horizontally, full force.

Time seemed to slow down, so much so that she could almost see the particles of water exploding on the sharp edge of Zabuza's blade. _Okay. Concentrate all my chakra in my feet,_ she thought, feeling the strange energy flow down to the soles of her feet. _Then… Release!_ She let the chakra loose as the blade rocketed toward her, and then the was soaring through the air, high above the assassin head. She somersaulted over him, landing lightly behind him and swinging her blade around. He was fast, but she barely glanced his exposed back as he jumped away from her. Blood spattered the gray stone, dripping from the tip of her sword and running from the scratch on his back. Proud of herself, she twirled the sword expertly in her hands and pointed it at him, then gestured for him to advance on her.

"That's enough, Ichigo," came a sudden familiar voice, and Kakashi appeared beside her, seemingly recovered from his wound. Disgruntled, she obediently retreated, sheathing her sword and backing away.

"It's rude to ruin someone else's fun, Kakashi. I guess I'll have to kill you quickly," he grinned, and then he had disappeared into the fog once more. She heard his laughter echoing around them, cruel and mocking. _Don't be afraid!_ She told herself, and she found that it was easier to convince herself now that she had wounded the man.

"Go back to the bridgebuilder," Kakashi demanded, and for a moment she was afraid that her efforts were underappreciated. "You did well. I know that if he gets away from me, you'll be able to handle it," she smiled at her, and she beamed in pride. She nodded firmly before descending into the fog, tracing her way back to the place Sakura and Tazuna vanished into the mist. It was a bit disorienting, wandering through the foggy landscape, especially when she was on high alert in case the gigantic swordsman broke away from Kakashi. The sounds of battle echoed through the air, sometimes close by, sometimes far off, but Ichigo trudged on. _Kakashi-sensei trusted you with Mr. Tazuna!_ She reminded herself as the urge to join the fight began to burn inside of her. _He trusted you! You have to protect them!_ As she began jogging across the bridge, repeating that to herself, she screamed and ducked as a kunai whistled over her head.

"Ichigo?" called an unsure voice.

"Sakura?" she frowned as a few strands of her hair drifted down in front of her face, and she was grateful that the projectile had not been a few inches lower. "It's me! Where are you?" She shouldn't have even asked, as the girl emerged from the fog with the bridgebuilder in tow.

"I'm sorry! I thought you were Zabuza," she apologized quickly, running over to her to grab her by the shoulders. "Are you all right? What's happening out there?" she asked worriedly. "Is Sasuke okay?" she fretted.

"I don't know. Naruto went in after him, but I haven't seen either of them since. I think k they're still fighting. Kakashi-sensei got hurt, you know, and so I fought Zabuza for a little while," she explained, a tad smugly.

"Wow! Really?" she gasped in awe.

"Yeah, I even cut him!" she grinned proudly, straightening up and putting her hands on her hips. "He's fighting Kakashi-sensei right now, so he sent me to make sure he doesn't try to come and mess with you guys!" She glanced over her shoulder as she heard the sound of clashing steel echoing in the distance. "I hope Kakashi-sensei is okay… And Naruto and Sasuke, too… That Haku kid was really tough," she frowned deeply. The sounds of battle were drifting closer, and she could see Tazuna growing visibly uncomfortable. "Don't worry, Mr. Tazuna. Sakura and I are here to protect you!" she reassured him brightly.

"That's right!" Sakura affirmed with a big smile, and the old man smiled gently down at them.

"Yes, I know. You are both strong, capable girls," he mused.

"Ninja!" they exclaimed simultaneously. Tazuna laughed at patted them both on the heads, making them purse their lips in distaste and squirm away from the old man. They then jumped nearly a foot in the air as a kunai whistled past them, disappearing into the mist. "They're close…" Ichigo whispered, and she and Sakura took protective stances in front of the bridgebuilder. The battle was so close that they actually had to deflect a few stray kunai, and they could actually hear Kakashi and Zabuza grunting as they battled fiercely, and see the sparks flying with every clash. Their shadowy forms grew closer, and Ichigo _watched_ as Zabuza kicked Kakashi aside and sent him flying far into the mist. She almost thought he was going to go after him, but then his shadowy outline began to rapidly grow larger. "He's coming, Sakura, be careful," she whispered to her comrade, and she heard the girl swallow loudly. The assassin emerged from the fog, and when he saw the two girls defending the old man, he grinned widely.

"Oh, look. The brats," he smirked at them, resting his hand on his blade handle as he regarded them like a dog would a juicy steak. He then suddenly glanced over his shoulder, making a disgustedly annoyed face. "Damn it. He's persistent," he sighed. "Well, brats, let me give you a parting gift," he smirked, and then they were surrounded by water clones. The real Zabuza vanished back into the mist to fight Kakashi again, and the two girls glanced around at their enemies.

"Are you ready, Sakura? Time to show them that girl power," she murmured.

"Let's do this," the girl responded resolutely, and the clones all drew their swords and rushed at them.


	18. Chapter 17: A Losing Battle

Looking back, Ichigo wasn't sure how they managed to survive the initial onslaught. The five clones rushed at them all at once, their greatswords ringing as they sliced the air in all different directions. Left, right, above, below- it was an assault meant to kill with the first blow. Realizing that they stood absolutely no chance fensung off the rapidly approaching blades, Ichigo and Sakura grabbed Tazuna by the arms and vaulted high in the air. Ichigo felt one of the blades slice through the underside of her sandal, and she paled to think that a moment later and that blade could have been slicing her in half. They landed safely beyond the range of the water clones, setting the bridgebuilder securely on the ground.

"You're going to have to do better than that!" Sakura called to the clones. Her mocking cry caught their attention, and they all straightened up to glare levelly at the pair of girls and their charge. They recognized the truth to Sakura's words, however, as they slowly approached, spreading in a semi-circle around them. Ichigo raised her sword, and Sakura raised her kunai, and they stood ready in front of the bridgebuilder as the clone assassins edged forward. _We have to cut down their numbers, or we're not going to last long at all!_ Unfortunately, Ichigo did not have long to figure out how to do that.

A clone was on her in an instant, his heavy sword bearing down on her. Ichigo just barely blocked it, throwing up her sword at the last moment, and she stumbled backwards. The clone pushed hard against her, and she could see the wicked smile beneath the bandages wrapped around his face; she shook with effort as her feet began to slide backwards over the concrete. _He's too strong!_ She thought fearfully. She heard rapid footsteps approaching, and glanced over her shoulder to see another clone rocketing toward her, blade slicing horizontally through the air. _Don't panic!_ She thought as her muscles tensed to spring away. _Time it right…_ Her heart began to beat furiously as her "flight" instinct kicked in, but she forced herself to stay put until the blade was nearly upon her. She backflipped at the last moment, throwing her blade into the air so she could grab the first clone by the shoulders and jerk him forward. It wasn't much, but it was enough; the second blade tore through him, and he collapsed into puddles of water. Ichigo caught her blade in the air and landed lightly on her feet just in time to stab the second clone as he was coming around, and he too exploded into harmless water.

Though it all occurred in mere seconds, the action left Ichigo panting. She couldn't rest, however. She heard a scream and whipped around to see Sakura down on her knees with the kunai over her head, with Zabuza bearing down on her with all his weight. Ichigo could see her quaking even several yards away, and she feared the girl's strength would give out before she could reach her, so she did the only thing she could. She twirled the sword in her hand and reared back, throwing it with all her might at the clone threatening to kill her friend. It whistled through the air to find its mark right in the middle of the clone's side, ripping through him to sail on and clatter onto the stone several feet away. Sakura gasped as she was abruptly drenched in water, and she glanced around wildly for her partner.

"Ichigo!" she smiled when she finally located her, and then she grew pale and pointed somewhere over Ichigo's shoulder. " _Look out!"_ she shouted, and Ichigo slipped in the water as she went to whirl about. One of the clones had snuck up on her, silent as a shadow, and was standing over her holding the blade over his head. It came swinging down as she landed in the watery remnants of the two clones she had bested. She threw herself to the side, roll g through the puddles, but not fast enough to avoid the blow completely. The sword glanced her arm, but the force ripped through shirt and skin, and the water around her turned red as she rolled away from her attacker. She sat up, holding her bleeding arm and panting heavily.

"Still a fast little brat, I see," the clone smirked at her, resting the bladse on his shoulder. Blood ran down its silver edge, dripping down onto his hand. _My blood._ "But how much longer can you keep it up?" Vaguely, she could hear Sakura struggling with the other clone, and she could only hope that the girl could hold her own long enough for Ichigo to defeat her foe. She reached for her sword to find that it was not there.

 _Right!_ She had thrown it to kill the clone attacking Sakura. She spotted it glinting faintly through the fog, far out of her reach. _This is not good._ She had wasted her shiruken and kunai against Haku, and had cast aside her sword in a reckless move, and now she stood weaponless against the demon assassin- a clone, but still deadly. The assassin advanced rapidly on her, slinging his blade this way and that, and all the young kunoichi could do was dodge the onslaught. She jumped across the bridge, her toes barely touching the ground as she evaded the massive sword. As she danced around the bridge, she's strayed closer and closer to her sword. _Just a little… closer…!_ She thought as she edged closer and closer. _Go!_ She made a mad dive for the sword, throwing herself onto her belly. She screamed as the sword sliced open her back, but she grabbed the hilt of her blade and rolled onto the bleeding wound anyway to block the sword that was swinging down at her. Electricity danced over her as the sparks flew. Again and again, Zabuza brought the blade down on her with such force that the stone beneath her began to buckle, and her muscles wailed in protest, and it felt like every bone in her body was breaking. _I… have to hold on…_ she thought as she gritted her teeth.

The barrage ceased, and even though the Zabuza clone stood triumphantly over her, she melted into the ground, collapsing with overexertion. As her arms fell to her sides, her hand unclenched and the sword rolled onto the stone bridge. She tried to retrieve it, but all she could manage was to twitch her fingers. "Look at you," he sneered down at her. "Done already, brat? I wouldn't thought you would at least latest a little longer." He sheathed the sword on his back and reached down, wrapping his fingers tightly around her throat. Ichigo could offer no resistance as he lifted her clear off of the ground, holding her aloft like she was no lighter than a feather. His fingers squeezed her windpipe, just enough to be painful. She coughed weakly, breathing hard as her windpipe became restricted. _You have to… fight back…_ she thought, but couldn't even find the strength to kick him, or hit him, or even scratch him. "Pathetic," he mused. As he squeezed tighter, tears began to run from her eyes. "Don't cry. You'll be joining your little friend soon, and the bridgebuilder soon after you."

 _Sakura….No, it's not true,_ she thought. "Oh, yes," he purred, seeing the distress in her expression. "She fought a lot better than I thought she would. She took out the other clone as he was flinging her over the side of the bridge. Unfortunately, she couldn't save herself," he laughed evilly. _No, no, it can't be, she can't be dead!_ She thought. Anger gave her a small burst of energy, just enough to kick him in the abdomen. Her foot bounced off harmlessly, and only served to irritate the assassin's clone. Ichigo gasped as his hand tightened further, all but cutting off her air supply. Every ounce of her senses shifted to that, and this cackle faded into the background as the blood roared in her ears, and her vision began to shift in and out as her lungs burned. _No… it can't end like this…_ she thought as her mind grew fuzzy. _I… I did everything I could… I trained so hard… I believed in myself, because they all believed in me…_

 _Is that…_

 _Is that not enough?_

 _Will it ever_ _ **be**_ _enough?_

She couldn't even see the assassin's face anymore. Her world was the mist, a grayish haze that grew darker with each passing second. Spittle ran from her mouth as she tried to breathe in vain, and the tears wouldn't stop coming. _I don't want to die. Not like this. Not for nothing…!_

Then the squeezing sensation vanished, and she was on her hands and knees, gulping and wheezing as she drank in the air. Slowly, the world became clearer, and she wiped her mouth and eyes as she slowly sat back on her legs. She heard the Zabuza clone grunt, and she looked up to see a kunai sticking out of his arm. Cold water leaked from the wound instead of blood, but it was not enough to destroy the creation completely. A few yards away, a defiant Sakura stood sopping wet, with a kunai in one hand and Ichigo's sword in another.

"You stay away from her, you hear me?" she cried angrily, holding out the sword threateningly. It was clear that the young girl was not familiar with handling blades, as her stance was unsteady and her posture stiff; regardless, Ichigo was elated to see her alive. Tazuna hovered beyond her, unharmed and watching the battle progress with a concerned expression. "If you want the bridgebuilder, you're going to have to go through _me_ , you understand?" she growled.

"That shouldn't be hard," Zabuza mused, walking towards the girl and drawing the greatsword. He had completely forgotten about Ichigo, or no longer perceived her as a threat, at the very least. Despite her bold words, Sakura swallowed and edged backwards, the tip of the sword shaking violently. _She won't make It!_ Ichigo thought in a panic and tried to rise to her feet. Her muscles disobeyed her, and her legs turned to jelly almost immediately. She crashed face-first into the bridge, and then all her muscles refused to respond. She could do nothing but watch as the assassin encroached on her comrade. Even her tongue was useless; when she tried to tell the girl to run, all that came out was a strangled groan. _No… no, it should be me, not her, I take it back,_ _ **I take it back!**_ She thought frantically as Zabuza swung the sword.

Sakura managed to block it with the borrowed blade, but since she could not hold it properly, the assassin's blow knocked it out of her hands. It went skittering across the stone, landing just within arm's reach of Ichigo. _Move! Move, damn It!_ She screamed at herself, using every ounce of willpower to force her exhausted muscles to obey. She rolled a shoulder, and then her arm inched forward, her hand sliding slowly across the stone to reach for the hilt. _Move!_ _ **Move!**_ She repeated as Sakura ducked another blow from Zabuza's clone, rolling around his feet to jab at him with the kunai. He jumped away, unharmed. Tears of frustration were rising in Ichigo's eyes, as the sword seemed still too far away.

 _Please,_ she begged to anyone, anything that would listen. _Please, Sakura can't die, Tazuna can't die! I swore, I swore to protect them with my life! I'm not afraid to die anymore, just_ _ **please**_ _, give me the strength, give me the strength…_

 _She's my friend…_

Abruptly, Ichigo could feel strange power coursing through her veins. It felt like her body was pulsing with energy, and she reached out with all her might. Her fingertips brushed against the leather hilt just as Zabuza threw Sakura down to the ground. She rolled to a stop at Tazuna's feet, dazed. "Now, you die!" Zabuza cried with glee as he moved to rush in. As Ichigo grasped the blade, it came alive with orange fire, the groove through the center blazing red.

Everything burst at once, and all she could see were flames.

 _You called, and I have answered,_ rang a strange voice in her head. It was not hers, but distinctly male. _Go now. Don't let my power go to waste._ Ichigo obeyed the strange voice's orders, and found that she could rise to her feet. She took one step, and then another, walking through the blazing fire. It seemed to part for her as she passed.

"My name is Ichigo Tsukihana," she whispered to herself. "I will protect and defend my friends, until the very end."

 _Good. Then let me help you._ The fire around her began to swirl and writhe, and the girl watched in amazement as it slowly began to take shape.

"Th-this is…"


	19. Chapter 18: Blazing Fire- Counterattack!

_Author's Note: Hello, everyone! Sorry for going MIA; my semester in college really picked up and so I didn't have the time to devote to writing. Good news, though- my finals are over and I am off for the summer, so I will be getting into the usual swing of things within the next few weeks! Thank you for your support and devotion, and stay tuned for more of Ichigo's adventure! Happy reading!_

The flames swirled together to and began to form a shape, slowly morphing into the apparition of a large dog. The flames turned into bright red fur, and bright green eyes blinked open. The fire vanished, and now standing before Ichigo was a massive red wolf with fire dancing at its gigantic paws and flicking on the end of its bushy tail. It shook its shaggy head, making flames spark across its russet fur, and the green eyes flicked to meet hers.

"Th-this is…" Ichigo whispered as her mind struggled to process what had just happened. _This is a summoning jutsu… But how did I…?_ She thought with wide eyes, and she slowly lowered her gaze to stare down at the glowing sword. _My blade…_ She didn't understand much of what was happening, but she didn't have time to figure it out. The momentary excitement had stopped the clone in his tracks, as a long stream of fire now separated the assassin from the shell-shocked kunoichi, who was still lying stunned on the concrete. Ichigo swirled the blade in her hands as she advanced on Zabuza, the fire reflecting in her silver eyes as anger burned inside of her. The wolf panted for a second before padding along beside her.

"There is obviously not much time to explain," the wolf growled at her. "I am Hotaru, a wolf spirit who embodies fire. Your desire to protect your friend broke the seal and allowed you to summon me."

"Seal?" she asked, and the wolf pointed with his snout to her chest. She glanced down to see a reddish light pulsing underneath her shirt, and she pulled it forward to see a strange, star-like seal had appeared in the middle of her chest, glowing bright red. She blinked, but decided to forgo the questions and returned her attention to the fight at hand. Zabuza had narrowed his eyes at her, and had his greatsword propped against his shoulder.

"So, you're back for more, and you brought a friend," he sniffed in disdain, his beady eyes dropping down to the wolf plodding along beside her. He grunted and took his sword down to point it threateningly at her. "Coming into battle with that puppy isn't going to save you."

"I am a _wolf!"_ Hotaru snarled savagely. He dropped down low as he growled angrily at the Zabuza clone. "Ichigo, listen to me. My powers boost your fire-style abilities," he explained. Ichigo's eyes widened slightly at that; she had always been _decent_ at ninjutsu, but wasn't stellar at any of it. Most of her energy had been spent in her swordsmanship and taijustu. _Well, now I'm beginning to regret_ _ **that…**_ she moped grumpily.

"All right. Understood," she huffed and planted herself in an offensive position, smirking at Zabuza. _One more shot. I can do this,_ she told herself. "Come, Zabuza!" she shouted. "This ends _now._ "

"You're right. It does!" Zabuza shouted, and with surprising speed for such a large man, he dashed at her, his blade scoring into the concrete bridge as he swung it up in a savage arc. Ichigo sidestepped the swing and spun on her heels to slice at Zabuza's back. Even though he jerked forward, she still managed to nick him. Blood sailed through the air and splattered the bridge, and the assassin hissed as he whirled around. Ichigo ducked the oncoming blade, and threw her arms up in front of her face to block Zabuza's foot as it moved to slam into her. She went skidding over the concrete, throwing up dust and pebbles. She jumped back to her feet and exhaled slowly, raising her sword once more. _I can do this!_ As the glowing sword illuminated the side of her face, an idea suddenly bloomed in her head as the Zabuza clone came rushing at her once more.

She hastily clamped down on her blade to throw her hands together and begin weaving handsigns, and then tossed the blade into the air. As it went spinning, she made a ring with her fingers and brought it to her mouth. _I hope this works! Fire-Style: Pheonix Flower Jutsu!_ She thought as she felt the chakra swirling in her chest. She breathed in deep, her eyes tracking the clone's zig-zagging movement; then she released it, sending small fireballs screaming across the bridge. The air bloomed with red-orange fire, and Ichigo could not help but marvel at it. They were at least three times larger than what she could normally produce. The clone bobbed and weaved around them, but soon found himself to be hard-pressed against the onslaught of fireballs; one grazed his shoulder, another singed his pants leg, and then finally one caught him in the shoulder and sent him teetering. _Now!_ Ichigo grinned and raced forwards. Her sword sliced through the air in an upward arc, and Zabuza made a clumsy attempt to block it.

"I got it!" Hotaru cried as he came dashing up beside her, and the wolf leaped and clamped his hand down onto the clone's arm with such force that he could no longer move. Ichigo jumped over the blade and held the sword up over her head, then drove it deep down into the clone's neck. It exploded into water, which crashed harmlessly to the ground. Ichigo landed lightly on her feet, panting slightly from the effort. Hotaru sat down beside her, tail wagging slightly.

"Sakura! Are you all right?" she called to her comrade, who had returned to her feet and rejoined the bridgebuilder.

"I'm fine! Look, the mist is clearing!" the kunoichi called back, and Ichigo turned to see that it was true. As the fog lifted, she could slowly see the shape of Naruto growing more and more solid. "Hey! Naruto!" Sakura cried happily. "You're okay! Where is Sasuke?"

The silence said everything.

As Naruto hung his head, even from a distance Ichigo could see the banged-up boy's shoulders shaking violently. Ichigo slowly turned her head to glance beyond the boy, and sucked in a breath as she laid eyes on the still body of Sasuke lying on the bridge, eyes closed and needles sticking out of his body all over. In shock, Sakura stood there for several minutes before taking the bridgebuilder's hand and taking off to where Sasuke lay still a few yards behind Naruto. Ichigo watched her go, a strange lack of feeling pervading her. As Sakura began to wail, Naruto sniffled and balled his hands into fists.

"Hotaru. Come," Ichigo whispered and sheathed her sword, walking to join the guilt-ridden boy. She stopped in front of him, and the sound of his hiccups and sobs broke her heart in two. His clothes were ripped apart and he was covered in scratches. _He looks like he fought like hell,_ she thought sadly, and reached out to gently take his hands. The fists relaxed, and his fingers slid into her own. The boy slowly looked up at her, and his tear-filled blue eyes met hers.

"I couldn't save him," he choked out hoarsely. He broke down crying, and tears streamed down his whisker-marked cheeks. "I fought so _hard_ … b-but… it wasn't enough." He cringed as Sakura's miserable wails echoed through the air, piercing their ears and their hearts. Naruto sniffled miserably, and Ichigo's hands left his to grip his shoulders and pull him into a hug.

"You tried your best," she murmured soothingly, but then her tears began to flow. Sucking in a breath as her heart snapped, she rested her forehead against his shoulder. "W-we tried, Naruto… W-we… T-tried…" _I failed… I was too slow. I should've been stronger, so I could have beaten that clone and then…!_

"Do not blame yourselves," came a sudden voice, and she and Naruto raised their heads to look down. Hotaru was standing beside them, watching with his lupine eyes as Sakura sat clutching Sasuke's dead body and lamented. "This is the reality of the Shinobi. We fight, we die. What matters is how we choose to do so," the wolf told them sagely and glanced up at them. Naruto's sniffles quieted slightly, but neither of them had time to comment before the mist cleared further and a gruesome scene slowly took shape.

There was more blood than Ichigo ever thought possible to exist in the human body. It covered the bridge, it covered Kakashi-sensei, and it covered the still corpse of the young assassin boy who had served Zabuza. Their sensei had driven his hand right through the boy's heart, killing him almost instantly. Zabuza, meanwhile, was standing there with his arms hanging uselessly from his sides as he stared levelly at the Jonin.

"Come on, Naruto. This is not finished," she told him quietly and patted him on the back before pulling away from him and drawing her sword. She began walking, and forced herself not to look down as she passed Sakura and Tazuna. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block out the sound of her screams, her _awful_ wails. Each one drive nails into Ichigo's heart, further cementing her failure. _I thought I was strong enough to protect them._

 _I'm not. I pretended that I was… I almost got Sakura killed, and I almost got myself killed… And Sasuke…_

 _I'm not… Strong enough… Not even close. I failed them._

That thought broke her, and a sob slipped out of her. Whatever strength she had used to comfort Naruto had abandoned her, and her knees suddenly gave way, and she melted to a puddle of tears a few feet away from the crying girl. Shoulders shaking violently, her chest heaved as she began to sob pathetically. "Damn it!" she screamed. _Why am I crying? Why now? You're weak, Ichigo, you're nothing but a pathetic weakling!_ She tried to rise to her feet, but fumbled onto her side, as her legs were trembling too hard to hold up her weight.

"Get up…!" she gasped between hiccups, but no matter how much she tried to move her legs, they would not obey. "Get up! Get up! _Get up!"_ she screamed as she drove her fist repeatedly into the bridge, until blood smeared across the concrete. She couldn't feel it, though; all she could feel was the pain in her chest, the piercing knife of bitter failure slowly driving its way deeper into her heart.

"Ichigo. That's enough. You're hurting yourself," called a calm voice. Ichigo looked up, and through the blur of the tears, she could see her sensei standing there coolly. "That's enough now," he told her again, more gently. She felt something brush against her sides, and she looked up to see Naruto on her left and Hotaru on her right. Wordlessly, Naruto bent down to slip her arm around her shoulders to pull her to her unsteady feet.

"You said it yourself. This isn't over. Don't fall apart on me now," he smiled weakly at her. He began walking forward, supporting her weight, and Hotaru padded along beside her, pushing against her legs to keep her walking. Together, they approached the grisly scene where their sensei stood ready to deliver the killing blow. Kakashi glanced down at her wolf, his eyes widening slightly.

"I was wondering when your family bloodline trait would kick in," he remarked before swirling a kunai in his hand and looking over at Zabuza, who was clearly on his last legs. Once again deciding to forgo the questions about the strange mark on her chest and her sudden summoning ability, Ichigo straightened slightly, looking over at the assassin, who just glared angrily at the silver-haired man. _This is finally the end…_

Before any of them could move, a loud, obnoxious laugh made them freeze. Their gazed trailed the bridge to see a short man banging a cane against the hard stone, surrounded by a gang of thugs.

"Well, well, well. Look how this turned out," the man in the dark glasses purred with an evil sneer.

"Gato," Kakashi frowned and sunk down into a crouch as he weighed how to proceed. The tables has abruptly turned.


	20. Chapter 19: Battle of the Bridge- End!

_So this is the man who set all of this into motion,_ Ichigo thought as she glared at the short, stocky man who was standing at the uncompleted edge of the bridge, surrounded by a group of bloodthirsty lackeys wielding swords and spiked clubs. Though his eyes were shielded by dark shades, they could not hide the malice and the greed that the man obviously possessed. The fires of anger flared inside of Ichigo. _This is the man who has tortured Mr. Tazuna and his family, and this entire country. This is the man who hired Zabuza and the reason that Sasuke is dead!_ She thought in fury, and her hand immediately went to the hilt of her sword. In her anger, she had forgotten the beating she had taken, and in response to her sharp movement every part of her body suddenly screamed in pain, making her wince violently and collapse against Naruto.

 _Still… Even now, I can do nothing…!_ She thought, quaking in frustration. Naruto, too, was shaking, but in pure fury. Oblivious, or perhaps just rudely uncaring, of the ninja's hostility, Gatou stalked forward with a mocking laugh.

"Look at you, Zabuza. You're a goddamn tragedy," the crime boss cackled as he regarded the beaten, bloody man. He stopped when he reached Haku's body and looked down at it, clicking his tongue in distaste. "Your little brat fared much worse," he observed before grinning evilly and stomping on the child's cheek to press his head against the concrete bridge. "You little punk! You got what you deserved. I was hoping to have killed you myself, but I suppose having your heart ripped out is a good consolation prize!" he howled with laughter as he stomped maliciously on the dead boy's body. Ichigo's mouth fell open in pure shock and anger. Even among enemies, to defame the body of a foe who fought hard was the most dishonorable of actions. She hadn't even known the poor boy, but did he deserve such treatment for simply fighting to protect his master?

"Stop that! Stop that _right now!"_ Naruto shrieked in anger, and he let go of Ichigo's arm to step forward and point an accusing finger at Zabuza, who was just watching the entire exchange with mute interest. "What the hell is _wrong_ with you? Are you just going to let him do that?" he cried angrily. It seemed that Naruto shared Ichigo's sentiment, only much more strongly. She glanced at the boy's body. _I wonder what happened between the two of them when they were in that ice prison,_ she thought. She turned her attention back to Zabuza when he responded.

"Why should I care? The boy meant nothing to me," the giant man answered coldly as he continued to stare at his deceased subordinate. "He was a weapon. Nothing more." At that answer, Naruto gazed at him in shock, and then actually began to cry. "Why do you grow so upset, boy? That's the way of the shinobi."

"Yeah. So if I keep doing what I'm doing, does that mean I'm going to grow up as cold and heartless as you?" Naruto whispered fearfully before glancing over at Haku's body miserably. "How could you have felt nothing, when everything he did was for you?" he shouted and looked back at Zabuza with a heartbroken expression. "Not only did he die for you, but Haku _lived_ for you! Everything he ever did was to make your stupid dream come true! He sacrificed every part of himself just to make that happen! How could you say that you felt nothing at all, when he _loved_ you?" As he continued to rant, his voice continued to rise until he was screaming wildly at the man and shaking his head violently. "If that's the shinobi way, _then I don't want it!"_

As she listened to Naruto's emotional speech, Ichigo suddenly recalled the meeting in the woods with the strange boy who now lie dead in front of her. She had quite forgotten it until that very moment, though the words had stuck with her. _"If you have someone to protect, you grow infinitely strong."_ That alone was enough to prove that what Naruto was saying was true. _He was strong because he wanted to protect Zabuza,_ she realized as she shifted her gaze from the body to the assassin, who had been silent all this time. She raised her eyebrows when his shoulders miraculously began to shake just the slightest bit.

"Boy. That's enough," Zabuza whispered, and as he looked up at the sky, Ichigo could see tears streaming down his cheeks. Somehow, Naruto's words had stirred emotion even in the cold-blooded killer. There was a tearing sound as Zabuza ripped the bandages free from his mouth, and she could not help but gasp slightly. "What, girl? Are you shocked to find that I am indeed human?" he asked mockingly. Gato just laughed.

"And you said you were a demon, Zabuza. You're nothing more than a wet puppy," he grinned as he drove his cane into Haku's ribs. "Well, it doesn't matter. I don't need you anymore, so first I'm gonna have my thugs finish you off and then kill the bridgebuilder once and for all!" he shouted, and his posse of hired swords crowed, teeming with bloodlust. Zabuza just continued to gaze levelly at the crime lord.

"Haku really was too kind," he sighed as he closed his eyes. "The entire time he fought you, his heart was breaking." When his eyes flashed open, they were alive with a blazing fire. "Give me your kunai knife," he instructed to Naruto.

"Just what do you intend to do?" Kakashi asked levelly as Naruto fished a kunai knife out of his pouch and tossed it into the air with a small "Here."

"Seeing as I am no longer under Gato's employment, I see no reason to fight you anymore," Zabuza answered, and as the knife whistled past his face, he suddenly snatched it out of the air with his teeth, clenching it tightly in his jaws. "So, Gato. Would you like to see what a demon I truly am?!" he roared suddenly. Gato abandoned his continuous prodding of Haku's body to scuttle backwards into the safety of his hired hands. "Get back here!" Zabuza shouted as he took off with blazing speed, diving headfirst into the fray. Screams soon followed, and though the ninja could not see him, arcs of blood sprayed in the air where the assassin cut aside his foes in a desperate attempt to reach the vile man. The crowd parted in fear, giving Ichigo a glimpse of the assassin just as he reached the cowering man.

"Haku has gone someplace you and I can never touch," she heard Zabuza cackle. He was bleeding from a hundred wounds, swords and spears sticking out of his back. He looked like some morbid porcupine. "You and I are going to have a merry time in Hell… There, you'll meet some _true_ demons!" he howled before driving the kunai deep into Gato's chest. Ichigo instinctively turned away.

"No. You need to see. This is the reality of the shinobi," Kakashi told her firmly, and Ichigo swallowed before forcing her eyes open once more. Zabuza was just hacking and slashing now, cutting Gato deeply as he tortured him. Deep down, Ichigo did not feel pity for him, because he deserved all that suffering one thousand fold.

It was all over in a matter of seconds, and they heard Gato let out a shrill wail and saw him fall backwards off the end of the bridge, where he landed in the water with a resounding splash. Zabuza stood there for a moment, knees shaking, before collapsing face-first against the concrete. Kakashi sighed deeply and pulled his mask down over his eye to conceal his Sharingan. "It's all over."

Ichigo and Naruto stared silently at the bloody body of the man who had been their enemy only shortly before, yet now they both felt intense sadness for. As she gazed at him, watching the blood seep out of her wounds, she wondered that if she gave into the power her mother offered if that would be her one day. _I won't let that happen,_ she told herself firmly. _I'll be a shinobi worthy of honor._ A small smile formed on her lips. _Though… I suppose that in the end, Zabuza did die with a little bit of honor. Maybe everything isn't as black and white as it seems…_ As she pondered the irony of the situation, she became aware of Sakura calling out, and she turned around to see the pink-haired girl with the biggest smile on her face she had ever seen.

Leaning heavily against her small frame with his arm draped around her shoulder was none other than Sasuke, battered but alive.

"Naruto! Ichigo! Sasuke's alive! He's alive!" Sakura squealed as she jumped up and down with tears in her eyes. Ichigo felt her bottom lip quiver, and her hand instinctively reached out to grasp Naruto's and give it a hard squeeze. From the way his hand was trembling, she could tell he was crying, too.

"You didn't fail after all," she murmured, and she glanced over to see him beaming widely at her.

" _We_ didn't fail after all. Don't forget that you saved Sakura," he remarked and snickered slightly. "You really do sell yourself short, you know?" he laughed heartily, and Ichigo smiled softly. _Yeah… Perhaps I do. Maybe I shouldn't shoulder all this by myself,_ she thought as she glanced around at her team. The hairs on the back of her neck rose violently when the celebratory mood was suddenly interrupted by an irritated cry.

"Not to ruin the reunion, but you guys are way to at ease!" called one of the hired thugs. Now that Zabuza was lying unconscious, or even dead, on the ground, they had seemingly regained their courage and were glaring at the exhausted ninja. "Now that Gato is dead, who the hell is gonna pay us? Huh?" they challenged.

"This is not good," Ichigo frowned as Hotaru growled beside her, his hackles bristling as his tail lashed aggressively. They were greatly outnumbered, for one, and though they were likely far superior in skill, they had just literally been in a life-or-death battle. The were on their last legs physically and mentally, and had little chakra left. All around, it was a sour situation indeed, but Ichigo saw no way out except a desperate brawl. The ruffians were talking loudly to one another.

"I say we kill these bozos and take everything they have!" one offered, and a chorus of agreement rippled across the group.

"Hey! This bridge has to lead somewhere, right? I say we follow it and ransack the town!" Another called, and that sure got their bloodlust burning. Cheering raucously, they grinned violently before brandishing their weapons and charging the bedraggled group of Leaf ninja.

"Any bright ideas?" Ichigo sighed as she ripped her sword from its sheath and prepared herself for the onslaught.

"Kick some ass!" Naruto crowed defiantly and cracked his knuckles. Just before the group of rogues fell upon them, a single crossbow bolt whistled through the air and embedded itself into the concrete bridge, causing the thugs to screech to a halt. They all stared at it in shock before someone coughed rudely.

"So, you thought you would attack our village?" called the squeaky voice of a child. "You'll have to go through us!" Ichigo whipped around, beaming as she recognized the voice.

"Inari!" she laughed happily. He stood defiantly with a pot tied to his head with a piece of rope and a crossbow clutched in his hands, and behind him, wielding all manners of weapons from garden hoes to frying pans, stood the entire population of the village that the marauders had been intending to ransack. Faced with the angry mob, the group of thugs began to grow unnerved.

"All right, Inari!" Naruto laughed, and the little boy beamed happily at him with a thumbs-up. _Seems they made up in the time we were apart,_ Ichigo thought with a small smile.

"Hey, Naruto! The heroes always show up at the last minute, right?" the little boy squealed with delight before notching another bolt into his crossbow.

"You said it! Come on, Ichigo! We can't let them show us up, right?" Naruto cried before making his signature hand sign to gather the last dregs of his chakra. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!" he cried, and in a puff of smoke five Narutos appeared where one had been before. At the display of power, the gang began to take hesitant steps backwards, obviously unnerved by the sudden turn of the tide. Ichigo grinned widely and brandished her sword, and for added effect, Hotaru used his chakra to light its edge on fire. Basking her in an orange glow, it flickered threateningly and ripped at the air as she twirled her blade expertly in her hand.

"Yeah! Come on, Hotaru! Let's show these punks!" she cried, and he barked eagerly in response.

"Right behind you!" he said and bared his fangs, making a ripple of startled cries pass through the group. A few of them in the back took off running for the end of the bridge.

"I think I have just enough chakra left to add to your clones, Naruto," Kakashi sighed and followed suit, and the entire bridge filled with dozens of clones of their sensei. That was the final straw. Screaming for mercy, the group of mercenaries turned tail to flee, casting down their weapons as they made a mad dash for the boat moored just below the unfinished end of the bridge. The villagers and the ninja called taunts as they sailed away desperately, then cheered happily as they disappeared into the waves.

Ichigo laughed happily as Naruto threw his arm around her shoulder, and she abruptly realized how exhausted she was. Hotaru dipped his head at her.

"The battle is done. I am now yours to summon when you call. We shall meet again soon," he told her really before vanishing in a plume of flames, and the throbbing light on Ichigo's chest faded away. Her legs turned to jelly, and she had to hang on to Naruto to keep herself standing. Still, that wasn't enough to chase away the pure elation she was feeling.

 _We did it. We won._

 _I am strong after all, aren't I?_


	21. Chapter 20: On to the Future Untold

"Stay still, Naruto!" Ichigo scolded hotly as she grabbed the boy's face roughly by the cheeks to pull him back. He whined loudly as she dabbed at the small scratch on his cheek with a cotton ball saturated with antiseptic, squirming in discomfort. After she felt satisfied that the wound was cleaned, she gently pressed a bandage over the laceration. "There. You're all done," she smiled at him.

After the conclusion of the harrowing battle on the uncompleted bridge, the ninja had returned to the old bridgebuilder's house, alive but in various stages of injured. Outside, the snow was still gently falling. After slaying the vile crime lord, the assassin Zabuza had been barely clinging to life; per his request, their sensei carried him to his deceased subordinate's side to say his final farewells. By some divine grace, soft pellets of snow drifted down from heavens, and the dark grey clouds parted to spill sunlight over the battleground as their enemy-turned-ally made his peace and departed from the world. Some of the villagers had volunteered to bury them on a hill overlooking the sea, an act the ninja had decided to partake in, and so they were waiting for the word that the bodies had been properly prepared. Ichigo stared out of the window, watching the fluffy snow pile up on the windowsill, unsure of just how to feel.

"Where did your fancy dog go?" Naruto inquired as he laid down on the wooden floor on his belly and looked up at her with his bright blue eyes.

"I no longer had need of him, so I sent Hotaru on his way," she answered simply. The wolf had vanished in a burst of roiling flame, and the glowing light on the kunoichi's chest had faded, fading completely from sight. It was different now, though; the sigil must house the summoning jutsu, as she could feel the dog's burning red chakra inside of her, dormant but still barely detectable. She still barely understood what exactly had occurred and how she had awakened her supposed family trait, but questions would have to wait until she returned home.

"I wish I had a fancy flaming dog," Naruto mumbled as he rolled onto his back and played with his scuffed sandals. He was silent for a moment before asking more quietly, "Do you think that Zabuza was a bad person?" The question surprised her, and she looked down at him with raised eyebrows. He looked sad, and she smiled gently at him in reassurance.

"No. I don't think so," she answered honestly. "He did some bad things, for sure, but I think in the end he was good at heart." She turned back to the window with a small sigh. "I think… He was just misguided. The ninja system fails so many people… It's very much a work in progress." Her mind wandered to her near-miss with it, where she had nearly been barred from her dream simply because of her mother's actions. "All we can do is do our bet to fight for what is right," she concluded.

"That makes sense," Naruto nodded, and she was relieved to see that he seemed much more at ease. They both glanced up when the sliding door opened and Sakura poked her head into the room.

"It's time," she told them softly.

After a brief walk, the ninja squad and the bridgebuilder's family were standing on the hill overlooking the shining blue sea. The sun had begun to set, painting the horizon with a rich blend of red and yellow and orange as it sank into the water. The snow had ceased to fall, but the grass still crunched underfoot with a thin layer of frost as they silently stood in front of the simple graves. Behind the wooden marker, the assassin's massive blade was planted in the earth, its sharp edge glinting in the failing sunlight.

 _You were my enemy,_ Ichigo thought as she stared hard at the grave marker. _Yet, I can't deny that you've helped me more than anyone this far… You challenged me and pushed me to my very limits… You helped me find the strength I so desperately needed to protect my friends and pursue my goal to be a ninja._ She looked up at the sky, where glittering stars were beginning to appear in the blackening sky. _I don't know where you are now, Zabuza… But thank you. You had honor, even in the end._

 _I want to be a ninja worthy of honor, too,_ she thought determinedly as her hands tightened into fists.

Ichigo was not sure what passed through the others' minds, but she was sure that it was something to the same effect.

"I've got it!" Naruto suddenly exclaimed, and the four other ninja glanced at him in mild surprise. His blue eyes caught the sunlight, turning them a blazing gold, and it literally seemed like a fire was burning in his eyes as he pointed to the sun sinking below the horizon. "I _will_ be Hokage! I'm gonna make sure of it! I'll be a ninja that _everyone_ can be proud of!" he huffed and puffed out his chest. Sakura and Sasuke rolled their eyes, chalking the outburst off to his usual boasting, but Ichigo smiled softly.

 _I understand, Naruto._ She knew not what happened in that prison of ice that left Sasuke nearly dead and Naruto so emotionally attached to the loyal Haku, but she recognized that the experience had changed him forever. As Ichigo looked out to the sinking sun with him, she liked to think that she was, too.

The bridge was yet unfinished, and until it was the ninja party had elected to remain on the island just in case some lingering thugs molested the hardworking builders. As before, the young students and their teacher piled into the spare bedroom, crammed with their sleeping bags, and after animatedly discussing the historic battle they each retired to their respected beds. As Ichigo lay on her back, staring up at the ceiling, she was finally truly alone with her thoughts.

 _Mother… Are you out there?_ She wondered. The incident with Zabuza had proved that no one was beyond redemption, and as she lay there contemplating the notion a striking thought had occurred to her. What if her mother could be saved, too? She had never hated her mother, truly. There had been nights where she had cuddled her pillow, crying bitterly in the long nights while her father was gone and she was all alone, a young girl subject to the terrors of the night. She longed for the love of her mother, and though as she had grown up she had resolved to the fact that her mother had abandoned her for the pursuit of power, perhaps some part of her had never truly let go. _Could I get through to her? Convince her to lay down her arms and abandon the folly? She could return to Father, and we could all be a family again._

It wasn't until she thought it that she realized how much she wanted it. Her bottom lip began to quiver, and despite her best efforts to quell them, the tears rolled down her cheeks. Hastily so the others would not catch her in such a compromising position, she slipped out of the sleeping bag and tip-toed out of the house, walking on the wooden boardwalk with her bare feet to gaze out at the ocean. She knew now why Inari liked it so much; it seemed like all her problems washed away with the lapping waves, leaving nothing but peace.

Not this time, though.

Ichigo sat down on the wooden planks, sniffling as she lamented the family she could never have but desired so badly. She cried bitterly for a few moments before she heard the wooden planks creak behind her, and she whipped around in shock. She bit down on her lip and then cast her gaze away, embarrassed.

"What's wrong?" Naruto asked her with a yawn, his nightcap hanging loosely over his nappy blonde hair. He shuffled over to her and plopped down, cocking his head to the side as he regarded her with concern. "Did you have a nightmare or something?"

"No," she answered glumly, wringing the hem of her pajama shirt nervously. Surely Naruto wouldn't make fun of her for her wishful thinking, right? "I was thinking about my family," she admitted after a moment of consideration. "My mom left when I was really little… And all this time, I've been led to believe that she's evil and she should have no part in my life… But is she truly? She's my mother. Surely she must care about me… What if all she needs is someone to bring her out of the darkness? I can have my mother back, and my father will be happy, and… I'll have a family. Is that stupid of me to think, Naruto?" she asked tearfully, afraid of a rebuke. He pursed his lips at her and then glanced back at the shifting sea, glittering with the reflection of the moon and stars.

"No. I don't think that's stupid," he answered. "I never knew my mother or my father… They've been dead since I was born," he sighed and looked miserably down at his lap. "But if I thought for one second that they were out there and I could have them back, regardless of the situation, I would want to. Even if they were the most evil villains in the whole world… Some small part of me would want to be a family." Ichigo hadn't expected such a heartfelt, profound answer from the airheaded boy, and the sheer amount of gratitude that she felt made her begin to cry once more. He cried out as she abruptly wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug.

"Thank you, Naruto… That meant so much," she murmured gratefully. He blushed slightly, but flashed her that familiar, confident grin. They sat out there for a while, beneath the stars with their feet in the ocean, before returning to the house to get some well-earned rest. That time, Ichigo fell asleep with a smile on her face.

A few days later, the long-anticipated day had finally arrived. On the edge of the bridge where it met the Land of Waves, Ichigo and her team stood on the concrete while Tazuna and his family stood with pretty much the entire village gathered behind. The old man grinned widely and reached out to shake Kakashi's hand.

"I can't thank you enough for everything you've done for us," he told them happily. "I couldn't have finished the bridge without you."

"It was our pleasure," the sensei responded politely, and looked down at his young pupils. Ichigo gave the old man a thumbs-up, Narutto flashed his cheeky grin, Sakura beamed proudly, and even Sasuke wss smirking slightly, satisfied with the result of the mission. "These four have grown up a lot thanks to the experience. It was good for them."

"Apart from the times we nearly died," Ichigo giggled. Inari, clutching on his grandfather's pants leg, looked up at Naruto with his eyes swimming with tears.

"Will you come back and visit?" he asked with a shaky voice.

"Of course. You know Inari, it's okay to cry when you're happy," Naruto sniffled, close to tears himself.

"Then why aren't you crying, jerk?" Inari exclaimed, and then they promptly turned their backs on one another, bursting into tears but too proud to allow the other to see. Ichgo rolled her eyes and Sakura muttered under her breath, "Ugh! Men!"

After a minute or so Naruto abruptly recovered from his crying spell and whirled around to face the distant mainland, adjusting his headband and grinning triumphantly.

"All right, guys! Let's go home!" he snickered excitedly, and with final farewells to the villagers, they set out on the long return journey. As Ichigo walked alongside her friends, her trusty sword clanking against her back, she smiled. She was not sure what future lay before them, but she knew that if they were by her side, she would be able to triumph over any hardship.

Little did she know that in the coming days, she would rely on them more than ever.


	22. Chapter 21: The Bloodline Trait

_Fifty-eight… Fifty-nine… Sixty!_ Ichigo counted in her head as she repeatedly pushed herself up off the floor, panting with effort. Sweat ran down her face in rivulets, splashing down onto the wooden floor in a small puddle. Her white hair was piled into a bun on her head, but a few of the strands had slipped free from the repeated motion, flopping down into her face. With a grunt, she blew them away, annoyed by the feeling of the slick hair against her skin. _Eighty-one… Eighty-two… Eighty-three…_

Though it had been several days since Team 7 had returned from the Land of Waves, things had settled into their normal routine; they conducted missions daily, but they were simple D-ranks, nothing notable like the harrowing experience they had been through less than a week before. Most of the day Ichigo was left to her own devices, and thus she had been training intensely. She was intent to follow through on her promise to grow stronger, and good, old-fashioned training was the only way to do it.

"One hundred!" Ichigo gasped triumphantly as she pushed herself up for the final time. Panting heavily, she sat up on her knees and used the fabric of her shirt to wipe the sweat from her face, turning the light blue fabric a darker shade. After she caught her breath, she slapped her thighs before rising to her feet, grimacing as her muscles screamed in protest. _By this time next week, I want to be able to do one hundred push-ups without breaking a sweat!_ She thought with a huff as she exited her bedroom and wandered through her empty house to the kitchen to get a glass of water. For the entirety that Ichigo had been home, her father had been away on a mission, leaving her alone. Though it was the reality of the daughter of a ninja, who happened to also be a single father, she could not deny that it left her exceedingly lonely. Her friends could take away some of that pain, but at the end of the day when she wandered in, exhausted from her days of missions and training, she missed her father.

Ichigo perked up as she heard the front door lock click, and her melancholy immediately vanished. She hurriedly gulped down the rest of her water and slammed the glass down on the counter before running to the front door to greet the red-haired man stepping into the threshold. "Father!" she squealed in delight as she embraced him happily, and the man chuckled softly as he tousled his daughter's messy hair.

"Ichigo! You're back from the Land of Waves!" he smiled as she looked up at him with sparkling silver eyes. Her father shrugged off his supply back and tossed it aside on the floor before grabbing her by the shoulders. "Well? Tell me all about it!" he demanded as he spun her around and ushered her to the kitchen to plop her down in one of the chairs. As her father listened intently, she told him everything there was to tell about the amazing mission- the attack by the Mist Chunin, the discovery of Tazuna's lie, the first fight with Zabuza, training in the forest, and the monumental battle on the bridge. When Ichigo arrived at the point where her strange powers had awoken, his eyebrows shot up to his forehead. She jumped slightly as he interrupted her tale to once more grab her by the shoulders. "Wait! You summoned a wolf?" he exclaimed.

"Oh. Yes, his name is Hotaru. I'm really not sure how it happened," she blinked, unsure why he was so excited. Indeed, he was positively beaming.

"Ichigo! Do you know what this means? You've awoken your bloodline trait!" he shouted. _Right… Kakashi-sensei said something like that in the middle of the battle,_ she recalled with a slight frown. Her father was too busy gushing to notice her confusion.

"Father, I don't really understand this strange power. Why didn't you tell me about it before? And what _is_ it, exactly?" she asked impatiently, and he ceased his elated babbling to stare at her. He then blushed slightly, realizing his negligence.

"Oh. Yes. I should probably explain," he laughed, and Ichigo leaned forward slightly as he begun his explanation, eager to learn more about the mysterious power she housed inside her body. "You see, Ichigo, the Village Hidden in the Leaves is made up of various different families. Your young comrade Sasuke Uchiha, for example, comes from one of these families. These families often have signature jutsu known only to them, and are closely guarded secrets. The Tsukihana are no exception."

"Why didn't I learn this jutsu earlier?" Ichigo pouted. She would have _loved_ to have unleashed the fiery wolf spirit on Sasuke when they had battled when she had first joined the team.

"The Tsukihana are a bit special. You see, we are actually a merger of _three_ different families. During the time of the first great ninja war, the three closely related families agreed to congregate into one family. I won't get into the details of that now, it's ancient history. I'll tell you some other time," he told her dismissively and then pointed at Ichigo's chest, where the glowing sigil lay sleeping. "As such, we do not possess one of these bloodline traits, but _three._ I had to wait to see which one you inherited. Since the three clans have merged, the jutsu are inherited somewhat at random, since the genetics have become a bit messy," he explained. Ichigo pursed her lips and knitted her eyebrows together, struggling to keep up with the convoluted story.

"Do _you_ have a wolf, Father?" she inquired, and his face lit up with pride.

"Indeed I do," he confirmed haughtily, and Ichigo beamed. _This means he can teach me how to control my power!_ She thought excitedly. "Now, let me explain more about your particular jutsu. It's a special kind of summoning jutsu; _most_ summoning jutsus involve summoning a ninja beast from a faraway location, where they make their home and such. _Our_ ninja wolves are actually pure chakra, rather than living beings. They are ancient spirits who have served our clan since its inception. Thus, they are sealed inside of us," he told her, and Ichigo gasped. Her hand flew to her chest. _That's why I can feel the chakra inside of me._ "Each member of the clan undergoes a sealing ritual when they are born, but it may not always take. The wolf spirit can choose to reject the host, whether that is due to genetics or the wolf's own temperament."

"So you mean that even though I inherited this jutsu in particular, if Hotaru didn't like me, I wouldn't have _any_ of the clan's jutsu?" she frowned, and when her father nodded, she gulped nervously. _I had better make sure I never make him mad…!_

 _You had better not,_ chimed the familiar growling voice in her head, and she jumped violently, nearly falling over in the chair. Her father stared at her with a slightly concerned expression. _What? You forget about me?_ The wolf mused, and came as close to laughing as a wolf could. Ichigo frowned and crossed her arms with a sniff.

"Great. Now I have to he careful what I say in my head!" she muttered, and her father laughed heartily when he put the pieces of the strange situation together.

"Oh, yes. You and Hotaru are going to be _very_ close. Do mind him though, Ichigo. He'll be a very powerful ally for you," he mused, and Ichigo's mouth twitched into a smile.

Ichigo and her father spent a little more time talking about her newfound power before spending a rare night together, which Ichigo was grateful for. She helped him cook dinner, which dissolved into a food fight, before they played a very competitive board game. By the end of the night, Ichigo and her father were positively exhausted, and actually fell asleep on the floor in the living rooms, big smiles on both their faces.

The next day, Ichigo and her team blazed through a number of equally mind-numbing missions before arriving back in the central part of the village.

"Well, that's all for today," Kakashi sighed as he stood before them with his hands in his pockets, looking as disinterested in everything as he normally did. Ichigo blinked as he abruptly looked up, staring intently at a hawk soaring overhead. The large bird of prey screeched loudly before whirling about to fly toward the center of the village. Ichigo was quite unsure why the simple brown hawk interested the Jonin so, but before she could inquire he smiled slightly at the young ninja. "Well, I'm off. Enjoy the rest of your day!" he said dismissively before disappearing in a cloud of smoke. _Well, I have the rest of the day off. I suppose I should get some training in before it gets dark,_ she thought as she rubbed her back, which was tight from sleeping on the floor. She groaned, not looking forward to the endeavor.

"Hey, Sasuke!" Sakura abruptly squealed as she ran over to the dark-haired ninja, who looked irritated that the pink-haired girl was bothering them. "Since we have the rest of the day off, do you want to hang out?" she asked him. Ichigo could practically see the hearts beating in her eyes. _Ever competing for her affections, I see,_ she thought wryly.

"No thanks. _I'm_ gonna go train. Instead of goofing off, you should do the same. Let's face it- you're just as bad as Naruto," Sasuke remarked scathingly. _Ouch,_ Ichigo thought with a slight grimace, not anticipating the ride comment. "Actually, you're _worse_ than Naruto!" he added after a minute of thought, and as Sakura slumped her shoulders miserably, he whirled on his feet and stalked off. _**Ouch.**_ _Not nice,_ Ichigo thought as she glared at the boy's retreating back. Feeling bad for the scorned girl, Ichigo walked over and reached out to console her. Before she could, Naruto slipped in and threw his arms around Sakura's shoulders.

"Hey, Sakura! You can hang out with _me!"_ he offered, puffing out his chest as if he were a hero swooping in to save a damsel in distress. Sakura, however, did not appreciate the sentiment, and she roughly shoved him off.

"Damn it, Naruto! Buzz off!" she snapped hotly as she punched him on the top of his blonde head, and Naruto whined loudly as he rubbed his bruised cranium.

"Man, Sakura, why'd you have to hit me like that?" he pouted, frowning deeply as he looked up at her with tears stinging his eyes. He blinked when he suddenly realized that three young children had approached. "Oh, hey, Konohamaru. What's up?" he asked to the one in the middle, a brunette boy with a long blue scarf tied around his neck.

"Hey, boss! Play ninja with us!" the young boy named Konohamaru demanded. _Boss?_ Ichigo thought with a giggle. _Looks like Naruto has a fan club. Cute!_

"A ninja playing ninja? How lame!" Sakura snorted in disdain and crossed her arms primly. Then, recalling her recent rejection, she groaned and slumped over, trudging over to Ichigo miserably. "Sasuke's right though… I was useless during the Wave mission… I'm _useless."_

"Don't say that, Sakura. Sasuke just doesn't realize that some people can't be on his level," Ichigo sighed as she reassuringly rubbed the girl's back. "Why don't we go train? If you prove yourself to him, I'm sure he'll be a bit more kind to you," she offered kindly, and the girl just nodded with a despondent sniff.

"Hey, boss! Are those your girlfriends?" Konohamaru asked as he pointed to the pair of females.

"Huh? Oh, well, not Ichigo. She's just my friend. Sakura, though…" he answered, his cheeks turning pink as he regarded the fiery kunoichi. Ichigo reacted with pure shock, her mouth falling open and her eyes widening; Sakura reacted with pure fury.

" _Naruto!"_ she shouted and clocked him savagely in the jaw, sending him sailing into the nearby fence. At such a display of violence, the three children trembled in fear as Sakura snorted haughtily and whipped around to stomp back over to Ichigo. Once they were safe, they scrambled over to their fallen leader.

"Boss! Boss, are you okay? Jeez, woman, what kind of girlfriend are you?" Konohamaru demanded hotly. _Someone had better plan this squirt's funeral,_ Ichigo thought with a small sigh as Sakura twitched in anger, and as she turned around with a murderous smile on her face, Konahamaru screeched in fear and promptly took off down the street. He crashed right into someone who turned the corner to come down the street, and Ichigo gasped as the boy, dressed in black with a cat-eared hood, grabbed Konohamaru roughly by the front of his shirt and lifted him clear off the ground. The other, a young blonde-haired woman with a gigantic fan strapped to her back, sniffed and turned away, obviously disinterested.

"You got a death wish, squirt?" the strange boy asked gruffly.

"Who are you, jerk?" Naruto cried as he hopped to his feet, seemingly recovered from the blow.

 _This does not look good,_ Ichigo thought as she reached up to grab the hilt of her sword, anticipating a fight.

 _Who are these guys, and why are they here?_


	23. Chapter 22: The Chunin Exams?

"Lemme go, you big jerk!" Konohamaru shrieked as he kicked at the strange black-clad boy who was holding him up by the front of his shirt. His blows must have been pretty weak, because the strange boy didn't seem to notice.

"Ugh, Kankuro, why are you even wasting your time with that shrimp?" the blonde-haired girl with the fan whined as she glanced over at the other ninja with the purple face paint. "We don't have time for this."

"Can it, Temari. This won't take long," Kankuro smirked, and Konohamaru gulped in fright and continued to wriggle in the stronger boy's grasp. The strange ninja raised his eyebrow when Sakura pointed at him, her face flushed and her eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"Hold it! Who are you?" she demanded hotly. " _I_ know that symbol on your headbands. You're from the Village Hidden in the Sand, which is in the Land of Wind! You have to have a permit to enter our village. How did you get in here?" Ichigo tensed as the blonde-haired girl laughed mockingly before holding up a piece of paper, which she could only assume was a permit to enter the village.

"You are _clueless,_ aren't you? We have permits. We're here for the Chunin exams, of course," she informed the kunoichi with a smug sneer, quite pleased that she could embarrass Sakura. Ichigo's friend pursed her lips, irritated that she had been so rudely refuted. Naruto looked between the Sand ninja and Sakura with that usual expression of utter confusion and slight irritation, then snorted and crossed his arms.

"Chunin exams? I didn't hear about any Chunin exams!" he shouted angrily.

"Well, we _did_ just get back from the Land of Waves. Perhaps they just haven't been announced here," Ichigo pointed out with a small frown, then whipped out her sword and pointed it at the aggressive Sand ninja. "Regardless, you can drop the boy now."

"Whaaaat?" he sneered, the cat ears on his hood flopping as he tilted his head to the side. "I'm not done teaching this squirt a lesson yet," he smirked, and Konohamaru whimpered as the boy tightened his grip around his shirt, making him squirm uncomfortably.

"Argh! You jackass! I'm gonna _crush_ you!" Naruto shouted, angered at the mistreatment of his young fan. He rolled up the orange sleeve of his jumpsuit and dashed toward Kankuro, screaming incomprehensibly. Then, without warning, his feet abruptly went out from under him and he fell roughly on his behind, and the back of his head smacked against the dirt ground. "Oww! Oh, man! What the hell was that?" he whined as he rocked back and forth cradling his head. "What did you _do?"_ he shouted accusingly at Kankuro.

"What? _Me?_ Don't kid yourself. You just fell over," the boy shrugged, but the triumphant smirk on his lips told Ichigo that the mysterious Sand ninja had some trick up his sleeve that he wasn't telling. _Well, he doesn't have to tell,_ she thought as she twirled her sword in her hand and dashed towards him, kicking up dust with each feverish step. Before the Sand ninja could use the same trick on her, she poured chakra in her feet for a burst of speed, vanishing for an instant before appearing in front of him.

"Let him go!" she shouted as she brought her sword down towards his hand. Either he would lose it, or release the boy.

That was the theory, at least.

Ichigo gasped as her sword was forcibly wrenched from her hands and went sailing across the road, landing in the dirt several yards away. As Kankuro's black eyes flashed, she hastily jumped backwards, retreating back to where Naruto was still sitting in the dust. She crouched down beside him, her silver eyes watching Kankuro guardedly. _What's his trick? It's like he can attack us without touching us!_ She thought in annoyance. The Sand ninja made no move to advance, just gazed at her with a rather bored expression.

"You guys are lame," he yawned and turned his attention back to Konohamaru, who was still wriggling and squirming. "Now, where was I? Oh yeah. I was gonna pummel you," he smirked. Konohamaru squeaked and squeezed his eyes shut, expecting a blow, but it never came. Kankuro abruptly yelped and dropped the little boy, holding his bleeding hand. Ichigo raised an eyebrow as a small pebble clattered fo the dirt ground. "What the-?"

"Beat it," growled that cocky, overconfident voice that Ichigo knew well.

"Sasuke!" Sakura squealed in delight as she spotted the raven-haired Genin sitting in the bough of a tree, tossing another pebble in the air and catching it. He was staring at the two Sand ninja threateningly, a dissatisfied expression on his face. Konohamaru ran back to Naruto, whimpering.

"Did you hear me? I said get lost. We don't want you here," Sasuke growled as he grabbed the pebble and promptly crushed it to dust. Rather than do as bid, Kankuro snarled and pulled the giant article strapped to his back off, holding the bandage-wrapped mystery weapon beside him as he glared hard at Sasuke.

"Man, it's punks like you I _hate,"_ he snarled. "Bad attitude and overconfident. Come down here and lemme show you who's the big dog around here!" he snapped. Sasuke's eyes flashed, and Ichigo knew he would definitely take the rude ninja on his challenge, but before anyone could move, another voice called down from the tree.

"Kankuro. That's enough. You're an embarrassment," it sighed, and the ninja all glanced up at the opposite side of the tree in shock. Standing upside-down under a branch was a red-haired boy, a year or two younger than themselves, with dark circles around his eyes and a massive gourd strapped to his back. _Where did he come from? I didn't even see him, or hear him!_ Ichigo thought in mild awe. As he gazed levelly at his thuggish comrade, Ichigo shuddered; there was a malice there, an open hostility that she could not describe as anything but _evil. This guy gives me the creeps,_ she thought, unsettled. In a whirlwind of sand, the boy dropped down from the tree and reappeared beside his comrades. "Let's go."

"Hold it!" Sasuke shouted, jumping down from the tree to slide his hands into his pockets and address the red-haired boy. "Your name. What is it?"

"I am Gaara of the Sand. I'm curious about you, too. Who are you?" the boy responded as he glanced over his shoulder, staring levelly at Sasuke. _He has no expression whatsoever,_ Ichigo thought with a shudder, thoroughly creeped out.

"Sasuke Uchiha," their comrade remarked smoothly. Gaara sniffed and gazed at him for a minute, perhaps the only indication that he held any interest whatsoever. Naruto, irritated that he was not part of the conversation, jumped up and waved his arms excitedly.

"Hey! Hey! I betcha wanna know _my_ name, huh?" he grinned stupidly.

"I couldn't care less," Gaara huffed and immediately turned his back, stalking off with his team. The blonde-haired boy pouted at the blatant dismissal, and Konohamaru comforted him as he could.

"No one wants to know _my_ name… Stupid Sasuke," He mumbled miserably.

"Well, boss, you're kinda lame compared to him, you know? I mean, you couldn't even stop that big thug!" Konohamaru consoled him with a toothy grin, but really he was probably just making Naruto feel worse. Ichigo stomped across the dirt road and bent down to retrieve her fallen sword, wiping the dust off against her blue shorts. She held it up, staring at the reflection of herself and her comrades with a blank expression. _The Chunin exams, huh?_

"Guys?" she smiled. "I think things are about to get interesting."

After the scuffle with the Sand Genin, Ichigo and Sakura took to the practice fields as planned, training until the sun sunk below the sky. They stopped on the way home at the ramen shop for a hard-earned meal before they separated. By this time, the sun had dipped below the horizon, casting the world in night. Ichigo paused in the middle of the road, stopping to savor _home._ She hadn't had a chance since they arrived back, and she hadn't realized how much she had missed it.

Above her head, the sky was a canvas of black, dotted with thousands of glittering white stars. A crescent moon hung low, bathing the world in its soft moonlight, making Ichigo's white hair shine with an ephemeral glow. Though it was nighttime, the village was not yet asleep; all around her, the village was aglow with the lights of houses and businesses, and the streets were full of conversation. She always loved the village at night; somehow, it felt more _alive._ Old men traded war stories in the various sake joints, puffing on pipes and filling the air with smoke as they reminisced days gone by. Young families sat in their homes or in restaurants to enjoy a meal, talking about their days. Teenagers crawled the roadways looking for a fun time with their friends. Older ninjas enjoyed nights off, relaxing in bars or simply strolling around enjoying the peace, the tranquility, the _security._

This. This is what Ichigo wanted to risk her life for. This is what Ichigo wanted to protect. This beautiful, nighttime serenity.

"Ichigo? What're you doing just _standin'_ there?" someone called, dragging her out of her silent listening. She glanced over her shoulder to see Naruto standing there, his hands in his jumpsuit pockets as he regarded her curiously. He was covered in dirt and scratches, indicative of a hard day of training. "Well? Cat got your tongue or somethin'?"

"I was just thinking," she answered, turning around to face him with a hand on her hip. "You're turning in late. Do you always train until this time of night?" she asked.

"All day, every day," he grinned and pointed at his chest with his thumb. "Can't become Hokage just by sitting around, you know."

"No. I guess not," she chuckled and beckoned him to walk with her. He jogged forward, falling in line with her as they strolled side-by-side down the street. Ichigo could not ignore the whispers and stares as the pair of misfits walked through the nighttime crowd. They followed her wherever she went, the speculations, the distrust. She thought that by now she would be used to it, but even now it still causes her heart to constrict slightly in pain.

"Doesn't it make you mad?" Naruto asked her under his breath. She glanced at him, but his blue eyes were staring straight ahead, into the muttering crowd. "The way they look at you? The way they talk about you?" he asked bitterly. "It makes me _furious."_ Ichigo gazed at him, unsure just how to look or how to feel. She understood why the village thought ill of her- she had her family legacy, after all. But why Naruto? He was a delinquent growing up, for sure, but that was a product of the hate that was projected onto him. Why did they hate him so? She never understood.

"Well," she sighed deeply, glancing back into the crowd, "I _could_ get angry. I could shout, I could cry, I could act out. I've come close throughout my life. My father is gone all the time, so I have to face most of it alone… You and I aren't too terribly different," she told him. "That being said, it _does_ make me angry, and sad. I've never done anything to warrant such treatment. It weighs on you… But, somewhere along the way, I realized something. If you get angry, and shout, and cry, all it does is cement that in your mind. You begin to believe that there _is_ something wrong with you, that their hate towards you is somehow deserved. Anger turns into hate, and then you lose sight of what you're doing in the first place. You're _consumed_ by it, and then you turn into what they always thought you were- a monster," she concluded. "So, I don't get angry. I just let them say and do what they will, because I know in my heart that it isn't true. I know who I am, and if I just work hard enough and prove myself, sometime they'll catch up," she smiled at him. He stared back at her, his blue eyes wide with shock.

"Man, Ichigo. You sure do say some weird things. You sound like an old man," he laughed at her. She pursed her lips at him.

"Hey!" she protested and shoved him roughly, causing him to laugh more.

"Hey! All right, you got a point though. I feel a little better," he mused and swatted at her hand before resting his behind his head and gazing up at the sky. "Thanks."

"No problem," she told him happily and glanced up at the sky with him.

"I always wondered why _you_ didn't hate me, too. I never imagined we were so much alike," he admitted. "I thought you were just a weirdo."

"Thanks, Naruto," she mused and shook her head. "I rather like you. I mean, it's admirable. All you've been through, and you still have the strength to push forward and work toward you dream even though everyone is working against you. Who could hate a person for that?"

"True. Well, not everyone. I have Iruka-sensei. He believes in me. I think Kakashi-sensei does too, at least a little bit. I'm not sure. You cant tell with that guy," he snickered.

"Yeah. I never know what he's thinking, either," she mused and glanced over at him, smiling slightly. She reached out and affectionately ruffled his hair, causing him to cry out and slap at her hands. "You know something? I believe in you too, Naruto."

"Hehehe. Really?" he grinned sheepishly at her, his hair sticking up all over the place from where she had tousled it.

"For sure! You'll be Hokage someday! Believe it!" she giggled.

"Hey! Don't steal my catchphrase!" he shouted in alarm, putting her in a headlock and tugging lightly on one of her pigtails.

"Ow! Ow! Okay! I give in!" she giggled as she squirmed in his grasp, attempting to pull his arm away from her neck. He let her go, shoving her lightly with a wide smirk. She grinned at him, straightening out her pigtail. "Really, though. I'm waiting for the day. I think you'll make a great Hokage, Naruto."

"Thanks," he sniffed, blushing slightly at her. "You know, I think you'll be a great ninja like you wanna be, too. You'll bring honor back to your family name. I know it," he told her with a smile, holding out a hand to her. "Let's make a promise right here! Both of us'll achieve our dreams! Believe it!"

"Yeah!" she grinned and took his hand, and they gripped firmly. "Starting with the Chunin exams, yeah?"

"How do you even know we'll be entered he laughed with a lopsided smirk.

"Just a gut feeling," she responded with a wink.

"Right. Starting with the Chunin exams!" he nodded, and they shook hands while sniggering.

 _The Chunin exams… They'll be a great opportunity to grow stronger! I can't wait!_


	24. Chapter 23: An Important Decision

Ichigo whined loudly as she sat on the edge of the small bridge spanning one of the many small rivers within the Village Hidden in the Leaves, swinging her legs in the open air as she glumly watched the water bubble a few feet below her feet. Though under normal circumstances she supposed it would be nice to sit and watch the rushing water and listen to the soothing sounds of the current, she was too irritated to fully enjoy it. _Kakashi-sensei is three hours late! Would it kill him to be on time for once?_ She thought with a low groan and rested her chin on the wooden railing. Her comrades were similarly irritated.

"This sucks! How long does he expect us to wait here?" Naruto demanded hotly as he stomped across the wooden planks with his arms crossed and his expression cross. "It's been _hours!_ Who does he think he is?" he ranted before sitting down in the middle of the bridge, as if he were going on strike. Suddenly, as if summoned by the blonde-haired boy's outburst, their sensei appeared atop the arch marking the bridge entrance, crouched down with his hand raised jovially in greeting.

"Good morning, everyone!" he called down to them, and his friendly tone only served to infuriate the four young Genin.

"You're late!" Sakura, Naruto, and Ichigo screeched angrily in unison, pointing up at their tardy teacher. Sasuke, though not prone to angry outbursts, still stood behind his peers with a scowl on his face, indicative of his own displeasure.

"I'm sorry. I got lost on the path of life," Kakashi sighed wistfully, but his young protégés weren't buying that pitiful excuse.

"Man, if that isn't the biggest load of bull I've ever heard," Naruto muttered under his breath to the two girls as the silver-haired man hopped down from the wooden arch onto the bridge proper. Still, now that the Jonin had finally arrived, they were now more curious as to why he had summoned them on such short notice than angry with his tardiness. "So, Sensei? Why are we here?" Naruto inquired excitedly, probably hoping for another important mission like the one they had just returned from only a few short days ago.

"These," he answered promptly before handing them all one piece of paper. As the adult handed her the unknown document, Ichigo peered at it curiously. "These are applications for the Chunin exams. I have recommended all four of you for the test. Sign these forms and bring them to the examination room listed on the form in three days, and you'll be in," he explained. _I knew it! I knew we would get to take the exams!_ Ichigo thought with glee as she looked up at their mentor in elation.

"Whoohoo! This makes waiting three hours worth it! Wow, Kakashi-sensei, you're the best!" Naruto cackled excitedly as he ran around in circles waving the piece of paper in the air. He cried out in alarm as a sudden gust of wind abruptly ripped it from his hands and sent it fluttering dangerously close to the river, but luckily the clumsy boy managed to jump up onto the railing and snatch the errant form out of the air before it could drift down into the crystal clear water and be carried away forever. "Yikes! That was close," he laughed.

"Please don't lose that, Naruto," Kakashi sighed deeply and pinched the bridge of his nose in irritation. "Now, listen. The choice of whether to take the exam is an _individual_ choice. If you do not think you are ready to undertake something like this, there is no pressure on any of you to do so," he emphasized. Ichigo couldn't help but notice that the comment muted Sakura, causing her expression to grow sad and her grip on the piece of paper. _She's doubting herself,_ the young girl reasoned. _I can't blame her… Next to Naruto and Sasuke, we seem pretty lackluster,_ she thought glumly. She glanced down at the application thoughtfully. _Kakashi-sensei said that it is our choice. I know I told Naruto last night that I would take on the challenge, but… Am I really ready?_

After clarifying a few more intricacies of the process, the sensei left his young students to ponder the weighty decision they had just a few short days to make. Naruto and Sasuke, naturally, were over-confident in their abilities and raring to undertake the test, and so left the two girls to their own devices to begin preparing for the task to come. Ichigo folded up the application and stuffed it into her ninja pouch to ponder later. Her friend needed her now.

"Sakura?" Ichigo asked the kunoichi quietly as she approached the quiet female. Sakura was staring down at the application, frowning deeply as she weighed the choice in her mind. Ichigo was quite unsure what to say to the conflicted girl; she wanted to encourage her to challenge herself, but at the same time, she did not want Sakura to feel pressured by Ichigo's advice, either. It was a delicate situation, and Ichigo was quite unsure of how to handle it. Sakura sighed deeply and lowered the piece of paper to sit down despondently on the edge of the bridge, looking down at the babbling river. Quiet, Ichigo sat down beside her, waiting for the girl to speak.

"Are you going to do it, Ichigo?" the young girl asked, peering up at her with uncertain green eyes. Ichigo frowned deeply and looked down at the water.

"I'm not sure myself," she admitted with a small sigh. "The Land of Waves went a lot differently for you and me than it did for Naruto and Sasuke… They just got so strong, it seems, and we're just left in the dust," she laughed weakly. It was frustrating to know that the boys were making progress in leaps and bounds, while she and Sakura just seemed to be crawling along. _Still…_ "I think I will, though," she added. "It's true that maybe we aren't as strong as they are yet, but I think that maybe this is our chance to really show them what we're made of, Sakura," she smiled, looking over at her. "I can't force you to sign the paper… But I don't imagine that Sasuke or Naruto will want you to hold yourself back. We're a team, you know? A team has to stick together and support each other. I think it would be good for you if you took the exams," she finished.

"Yeah… Yeah, I think you're right," Sakura nodded, and Ichigo was relieved to see that the tension in her expression had relaxed. "Thanks, Ichigo!" she smiled at her, and Ichigo laughed as her friend threw her arms around her in a hug. After a quick squeeze, Sakura climbed to her feet. "I think I'm going to get some training in today. Want to come, Ichigo?" she offered politely. Though the swordswoman would normally oblige, she certainly had a heavy decision to ponder, and as such shook her head in refusal. Sakura's lips immediately pursed in disappointment, but she did not press the matter. "Okay. See you later, Ichigo!" she said with a small wave before turning on her heel and walking purposefully from the bridge. As soon as the kunoichi was out of earshot, Ichigo released a despondent sigh.

"Funny how I can encourage _her,_ but as soon as I start to think about myself, I start to doubt," she muttered and laid back over the wooden planks with her hands resting behind her head and her legs still hanging off the side of the bridge. She frowned as she gazed up at the clear blue sky above, watching as the clouds drifted lazily by. Her mind migrated to the application still folded up in her ninja pouch. _Naruto and Sasuke are signing up, and Sakura most likely will. Shouldn't I?_ She wondered. _Kakashi-sensei said that it's an individual choice… I want to grow stronger, but will the Chunin exams make that happen? Or will I just make a fool of myself?_ She thought uncomfortably. The answer was clear, but the shadows of doubts that clouded her mind prevented her from making the decision. With a sigh, she rose from the bridge and looked in the direction that her friends had each wandered off in earlier. _I need to clear my head,_ she thought before turning around and walking towards the other end of town.

Ichigo's feet carried her through the familiar dirt roads down into the small paths that trailed through the expansive forests in and around the village. Under the thick green canopy, Ichigo already felt a little more at ease, and she smiled as she walked the familiar path down to one of the training grounds. It was no more than a small clearing with a few practice targets, scratched and splintered from long use by the many ninja the village called home, but it was fairly unpopular and often uninhabited, so Ichigo was alone as she stepped out into the grass. She hadn't intended to train at all, as she told Sakura, but it seemed the will of her mind had other plans. She took up position in front of one of the wooden dummies before quickly drawing her sword and spinning it around in her hand.

 _Funny…_ she thought wryly as she looked at the blade, the way its silver sheen caught the sunlight filtering through the broad leaves. _I haven't had this for very long, but now, I can't imagine being without it._ Indeed, it was almost like the blade had become a _part_ of her, an extension of herself. She whipped it through the air, appreciating how it sliced it in two. Then, she seamlessly slid into an attack stance and shot toward the dummy, slashing with the sword. The tip of the blade caught the effigy of a person across the chest, leaving a white gash when the dark brown bark had been. Ichigo danced around the dummy, stabbing here, slashing there, filling her imaginary enemy with wounds. The adrenaline of battle began to soar through her veins, sending her senses on overdrive. She could hear the rush of the wind as her blade cut through the air, the singing of birds above her head, the rustling of the leaves all around her; she could see the bark flying as it was ripped free by her blade, the grass rippling under her feet as she glided across the earth, the dappled sunlight splashing across the clearing. Suddenly, the dummy was not a dummy anymore, but Zabuza, the swordsman of the Mist; in the next instant, it was one of the two Chunin that had attacked them on the road- the next, a faceless enemy, but an enemy nonetheless. The blood roared in her ears and sweat glistened on her pale skin, and her hair whirled around her as she spun around the back of the dummy and swung her sword as hard as she could. Panting, she froze, still holding out her sword as she watched the wooden head of the dummy wobble and then flop into the soft grass with a thud.

It was then that she realized she was _alive._ She was exhilarated, utterly; the thought of felling a foe in battle, triumphing in defending her home from this imaginary enemy, made her heart sing. She was reminded of her lifelong goal, her dream.

 _I want to be a strong ninja, so I can protect my home and restore honor to my family name._

She stared down at the decapitated head of the dummy, breathing hard. It was no small feat to slice through solid wood, and to be honest, she was surprised at herself. She looked down at her sword arm, then turned the blade over in her hands, looking at it at mild awe. _I'm stronger,_ she realized. The thought made her laugh breathlessly, as it made her exceptionally giddy. Her doubts were just that- doubts, nothing more, nothing but baseless falsehoods.

"I can't believe I was considering opting out," she mused as she sheathed her sword and unzipped her ninja pouch to pull out the application. "I promised Naruto we would do it together! I couldn't let him down like that." Determined, she pulled out a pencil (in addition to ninja gear, she always kept odd things like that on her person, because of times like this) and prepared to sign the document. Just as she scrawled her signature across the paper, she gasped as the sheet was abruptly ripped from her hands. "Hey!" she cried as she whipped around to see a cloaked figure with a mask over the bottom half of his face and a straw hat with a ninja headband tied around it. It was the symbol of the Hidden Rain Village.

"You think you're going to sign up for the Chunin exams, huh?" he laughed cruelly as he held the document aloft. "A brat like you doesn't stand a chance! Give up!"

"Oh, hell no," Ichigo muttered and drew her blade.


	25. Chapter 24: A Bitter Reunion

"I would appreciate it if you gave that back. I was told not to lose it," Ichigo snorted as she stood a few feet away from the hostile ninja who had suddenly sprung from the trees and snatched away her newly-signed application for the Chunin exams. Ichigo had no idea who the man was; most of his face was masked and his eyes concealed by dark goggles, and he was also wearing unfamiliar clothing. No doubt it was another candidate for the Chunin exams who was simply trying to whittle down the competition with a little scare tactic.

Well, Ichigo was far from scared.

"You don't stand a chance in the Chunin exams! All the other candidates will tear you apart! You should just give up!" the strange man cackled as he waved the piece of paper around tauntingly, making Ichigo's face flush with anger, before he tucked it into his shirt. "You're nothing but a weak little girl just playing at ninja."

"Oh, yeah? Why don't I just show you how strong I am?" Ichigo cried, the comment striking an obvious nerve. Before the Rain ninja could reply with another scathing insult, Ichigo twirled her sword in her hand and dashed toward him, the grass rustling wildly in the wake of her speed. The man seemed startled at such a display of quickness, and had almost no time to whip out a kunai to block her offense before Ichigo's sword was on him. Sparks flew through the air and danced off their clothes as the metallic weapons collided, and his hands shook violently as the young girl bore down on him with all her strength. As his own blade inched closer and closer to his neck, she could see the unease form on what little of his expression was readable. "How do you like that?" she snarled angrily.

Abruptly, the ninja shoved her away and sprang a few yards away, hoping to increase the distance between them.

"I'll admit, you're stronger than you look, physically. How are your reflexes?" he laughed and pulled open his cloak with a dramatic flourish, and dozens of kunai flew from the ripped, dirty fabric. As the projectiles whistled toward her, Ichigo fell back into a back-hand spring, launching herself into the air and somersaulting to land perfectly on an overhanging branch. Before she even saw them she heard the shuriken whirling toward her, and she swung her sword powerfully to block the oncoming onslaught of sharp throwing stars. They fell harmlessly to the base of the tree, embedding themselves in the dirt. "Not bad. But you still aren't ready. Give up!"

"Haven't you gotten in through your thick head yet? I'm not giving up on the Chunin exams! I'm not going to run away from a challenge!" she shouted down at him before placing a hand over her chest. She could feel the chakra of Hotaru burning there, blazing brightly contained in the seal inked into her skin. _Hotaru, can you hear me? Why don't we give this joke a demonstration of our power?_ She suggested silently. She immediately grinned when she heard the wolf's deep voice growl back.

 _Gladly,_ he purred, and Ichigo felt the chakra contained within the seal suddenly burst forth, flooding through her body. The groove in her sword began to glow a rich red, channeling the raging chakra inside the girl, and then the sword burst into flame. The flame flickered along the silver surface for a moment before taking on a life of its own, jumping into the air in a ball of roiling fire before colliding with the ground and spreading out, burning all the grass as it did so. The flickering flames morphed into a lupine shape, before dying out and leaving the reddish form of Hotaru behind. As he snarled at their enemy, small flames danced across his massive paws and burned at the end of his fluffy tail. _Do you think that was a grand enough entrance?_

"He certainly looks spooked!" Ichigo laughed as she stood up and hopped down from the branch to land behind him. Indeed, the Rain ninja had stiffened at the appearance of the large wolf, but to his credit he tried not to let her notice.

"Ha! You think that summoning this dog will help you?" he shouted mockingly at her. Being referred to so lowly made her canine comrade snarl angrily and lash his fiery tail. The ninja sprang at her, wielding a kunai, and Hotaru jumped out of the way while the kunoichi met the attack head-on. She remained firm as he fell upon her, but she blocked the attack easily and side-stepped around him to lash out at him. He leaped away, but was too slow; the tip of her sword ripped through his cloak, sending a large chunk of it fluttering to the ground. He landed practically into Hotaru's waiting jaws, as the wolf appeared behind him and clamped tightly down on the enemy's arm.

 _Now, Ichigo!_ He demanded, and Ichigo planted herself a few feet away in front of the ninja at once. Her hands seamlessly weaved the appropriate hand signs, and she felt the chakra welling up inside her torso, nearly boiling over. _Fire-Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!_ Five well-sized fireballs spat from her mouth, streaming toward the immobilized man. They were so hot that the air boiled around them, and Ichigo almost felt sorry for him as they collided with him. All his clothes instantly caught fire, burning him intensely as he screeched in agony. Because the flames were fueled by chakra, they burned out after a few seconds, and the man collapsed face-first into the ground with a low, agonized groan. _Well done,_ Hotaru smirked at her as he padded over, tongue lolling and blood dripping from his maw. Ichigo snorted and stomped over to the man, bending down to rummage through his clothes. She pulled out her application, which thankfully had escaped the inferno unscathed.

"What a creep," she sighed before folding up the paper and returning it to the safety of her ninja pouch. She was about to dismiss her summon until he abruptly began to growl, his ears angled.

 _Something is coming. A lot of people. Several squads' worth,_ he warned, and Ichigo rested a hand on the hilt of her sheathed sword.

"Reinforcements?" she wondered gruffly. _No matter. If they're anything like him, they'll be a breeze,_ she thought haughtily. As promised, within a few seconds the clearing was filled with ninja, perched in the trees and lining the area in a circle. Immediately Ichigo knew that something was wrong; their clothes were nothing like the man she had just defeated, and even bore resemblance to the garb that many people from the Leaf wore. In addition, Hotaru hunkered low to the ground and backed up closely to her, indicating that these people were on a much higher level. Ichigo was beginning to consider running away when one of the newcomers, a woman with blue-black hair swirling about her waist, stepped forward and addressed her.

"Why so hesitant, my dear? Is that any way to treat your family?" she crooned as she opened her arms wide as if to embrace her. _What? What is she talking about?_ She thought in bewilderment and glanced around the clearing. It was immediately apparent to her that they were linked in some way, as they all had similar hair colors: the bluish-black of the strange woman, a golden hue that resembled golden wheat, or a blazing red that matched the fire Ichigo used to often. _Wait… That red… Looks a lot like Father's hair._ Additionally, all of the ninja surrounding her had long hair, in ponytails or pinned in buns or simply flowing free. A pit of dread began to settle into Ichigo's stomach. "Come, now. Won't you hug your mother?"

That comment was so shocking that Ichigo stepped back as if stricken by a blow, her chest tightening as all the breath left her body. _My… mother? No. It couldn't be… And these… these people are my clan…?_ As she struggled to process the bombshell, the unmoving body of the fallen Rain ninja abruptly sprang to life, jumping in front of Ichigo in a defensive stance. Before she could inquire as to his motives, there was a loud _poof!_ and a cloud of smoke, and the Rain ninja was no more.

Rather, it was none other than her former sensei Iruka standing protectively in front of her, a scowl on his face and a kunai brandished threateningly in his hand. This seemed to leave a bitter taste in her mother's mouth, as she pursed her lips with a disdainful expression, as if she were gazing at a bug that needed squashing.

"I hate to interrupt your heartwarming reunion," Iruka sneered as he held out an arm defensively in front of the frightened girl. "You know you are not welcome here, and Ichigo is not the least bit interested in any relationship with you- not that you are, either. Now- tell me why you're here, _Nanami Tsukihana_!" he demanded adamantly. Ichigo was too busy reeling to consider the fact that Iruka had disguised himself to challenge her about the Chunin exams, now obviously unveiled as a mere test of her ability. _My mother. My clan. They're_ _ **here.**_ _But why? Why, after all this time?_

"That isn't any concern of yours, but since you'll be dead in a few minutes, I'll leave you with this hint," Nanami mused as she tossed her long, black hair haughtily over her shoulder. "You can't see the danger in front of your noses. Soon, very soon, the Leaf Village will be rocked to it's very core- and as it should be. The wayward leadership this village has suffered will end, and the Tsukihana will finally take their rightful place at the helm to lead this village into a new age of greatness! The other great nations will fall before us, and we will usher in an era of unprecedented peace!" As she ranted, her expression turned maniacal, a mad sneer on her plump lips that contorted her pretty face. It scared Ichigo how delusional she was, how an ideology could become so twisted that her mother truly believed she was protecting the village by razing it to the ground.

"Great speech. Now, what does Ichigo have to do with it?" Iruka snorted, clearly unimpressed.

"She's a Tsukihana. She belongs with us," she mused before locking eyes with her daughter, who winced but could not tear her gaze away. "She belongs with her mother… That aside, whether she knows it or not, Ichigo has been chosen by destiny to bring the Tsukihana to its former glory. She is the cornerstone of our endeavor to save the village!" That final statement jarred Ichigo out of her fearful silence, and she balled up her hands into fists as her face set into a glare.

"How can you save the village by destroying it? That makes no sense! Father was right! You _are_ insane!" Ichigo yelled angrily. At the mention of her former husband, Nanami rolled her eyes and made an expression of pure disgust.

"Do not speak to me of that weak fool," she spat before drawing her sword, identical to the style of Ichigo's. The girl quailed as the woman spun it expertly and took a few steps toward her; all courage fleeing from her body, she cowered behind Iruka as her mother advanced. "That's enough talk. Ichigo, _you_ are coming with _me._ "

"Not if I can help it!" Iruka shouted and darted forward, his kunai glinting in the sunlight as it ripped through the air in a savage arc. Nanami's sword rose to meet it, and the air rang with singing steel as the two blades collided. The other clan members made no move to intervene as the two ninja met, jumping around the clearing as they crashed together over and over. All Ichigo could do was watch in horror as they fought intensely to decide her fate. _I don't get it? What would they want with me? Why am I so special?_ She thought. She was so confused, so mystified, that she could only watch as the battle unfolded.

Though Iruka tried his best, he was clearly outmatched.

"Gahhh!" the young teacher cried as Nanami's sword sliced through his chest, sending him staggering backwards. The kunai dropped from his hand and he fell to one knee, panting as his green Chunin vest turned dark with his blood. His face was screwed up in pain.

"Iruka-sensei!" Ichigo screamed and went to unsheathe her sword. She could not simply stand idly by as the man who had risen to her defense be slain.

"No!" he shouted at her, causing her to freeze in her tracks. "Run, Ichigo, run as fast as you can and get help!" he demanded, glaring savagely at the woman with a sword at his throat. "You will _never_ have her!" he cried and grabbed his kunai to slash upwards. Nanami was not caught unawares, however, and simply avoided the attack, turning her sword around to jam the hilt of it into Iruka's middle. He doubled over in pain, coughing violently as the breath was forced from his lungs.

"You can't even take me on. Even if you _did_ defeat me, you'd still have an army of my allies to contend with," she grinned scornfully. As he turned his face to shoot her another angry look, she kicked him hard in the face, knocking him out instantly. "Stay there and die," she huffed before turning to Ichigo with a smile. It was not the soft, loving smile of a mother; it was the hard smile of someone who had achieved a nefarious goal. Her eyes did not see her as a daughter, but as a tool to be used.

Ichigo could not be a tool in the destruction of the home she loved.

 _I have to run!_ She thought frantically as she stepped backwards, but her knees were shaking so badly that she could barely move. She hadn't been so scared since the first face-off with the bloodthirsty Zabuza.

 _Ichigo! Grab onto me!_ Hotaru suddenly growled and jumped in front of her. Scared out of her wits, she grabbed handfuls of his thick red fur, and with a powerful spring he launched into the air with her in tow. The mighty jump carried them over the wall of ninja, and he twisted into the air to pull her on top of him so that she was riding him like she would a horse. Though it was undignified for someone such as him, he obviously saw that the poor girl was in no state to flee. Tears rose to the corners of her eyes, and she leaned forward to bury her face into his fur.

"Hotaru, I'm so scared," she whispered. Rather than mock her, he glanced over his shoulder as he dashed over the grassy ground to rub her reassuringly with his snout.

"Do not fear," he said aloud. His voice was like that of a human's, almost, but with a beastly roughness that was distinguishing. "You are strong. No matter what they do to you, remember who you are and what you stand for, Ichigo. They cannot win so long as you continue to believe in yourself," he told her. She nodded and tightened her grip on his fur, trusting him to bring her to safety.

It proved too daunting a task.

"Damn!" Hotaru shouted and skidded to a sudden halt. Ichigo looked up to see that the ninja had somehow outrun and cornered them, and all of their blades were drawn. Nanami stood at the forefront, smiling that horrifying smile of hers.

"I knew you would inherit your father's bloodline trait. It has always been the strongest, especially in _his_ line," she commented with a snide look at the wolf summon. "However, there is no use for him now. Dismiss him, or I will be forced to kill him. It would be a shame to lose him when you have only begun to scratch the surface of your ability, wouldn't it?" Ichigo gasped at the cold seriousness in her tone and expression, and she knew that if she did not comply she would have two potential deaths on her hands in less than ten minutes.

 _Ichigo, don't listen to her!_ He snarled in her head, crouching down as he prepared for another dash. _We can reach the village!_

 _No. We can't,_ she answered silently, a tear rolling down her cheek as she realized the hopelessness of her situation. _It's over for now, Hotaru,_ she told him and then smiled down at him when he looked back at her with a concerned expression. _I'll be all right, as long as you're still with me… and I believe in myself, right?_ The wolf gazed at her, then dipped his head before vanishing from under her in a cloud of smoke. She landed on her hands and knees, and as she sat there she could see her arms trembling still. _I must not be afraid. I am strong. No matter what they do to me, I still have the power to choose my own fate._

"Very good. Now, take a nap, dear," her mother crooned, and before Ichigo could even react she felt something slam into the back of her head, and everything went black.


	26. Chapter 25: The Tsukihana's Treachery

Kakashi sighed lightly as he glanced up at the sky, where the sun was slowly traveling across the blue sea like a golden ship. _It's not like him to be late._ The silver-haired Jonin had found the entire thing bothersome, that Iruka had _insisted_ on testing his students as if Kakashi had entered them in the exams on account of some fit of whimsy, and now he was late. After a few more moments of waiting on the teacher to arrive, Kakashi clapped his hands on his thighs to slowly push himself up from the rooftop he was perched on, sighing again.

"Well, I had better go find him." With that, he vanished in a puff of smoke.

Kakashi checked the various training grounds across the village, and in some of them he discovered the handiwork of his young protégés. They certainly knew how to make an impact, and by the state of the various forest clearings he could tell that they had knocked Iruka right on his behind with no trouble at all. He could not help but feel pleased at the outcome; naturally, he had believed in his students, but they were only recently made Genin, after all. Their strengths were enormous, but each of them did possess an Achilles heel in their personalities. _Sakura is too caught up with Sasuke and feels inferior to the others, Sasuke has an attitude and thinks he's better than Naruto, Naruto is overconfident and is always chasing after Sasuke._ It was like a strange triangle of rivalry, but yet that rivalry certainly fed their unprecedented growth. _Ichigo… That girl is just too caught up in her head._ Her mother weighed heavily on the girl's mind, and she felt like she was walking the edge of the cliff, with the yawning chasm of villainy ever present in her mind. _It's holding her back._

Kakashi was so caught up in his own thoughts that he did not hear the groans of pain at first, but when he did, his mind immediately shifted gears entirely. As he stuffed a hand into the ninja pouch strapped to his thigh, his eye flicking back and forth across the forest searching for the sign of an enemy, he crept quickly toward the sound. The scent of iron stung his nose, a clear indicator of a large amount of blood. He stepped out of the bushes into a clearing, and found the very man that he had been looking for. "Iruka!" he exclaimed and rushed to his side, placing a hand over the large gash in his chest that was bleeding profusely.

"Ugh…! Kakashi!" he coughed, splattering more blood across his front. _Don't tell me one of them got a little too excited,_ Kakashi thought with a feel frown as he helped Iruka into a sitting position. Iruka grabbed onto his green vest, eyes wide. "Th-they came! They came for her!" he babbled incoherently. Kakashi could understand nothing as he continued to blather nonsense, so the Jonin shook him lightly enough to force him to focus but without enough force to hurt him further.

"Iruka. Calm down, and tell me what happened here," he demanded coolly, and while the man gathered his words, Kakashi flipped out a pair of scrolls and rolled them open, and a serious of loud popping clouds of smoke signaled the arrival of his trusted ninja hounds.

"N-nanami Tsukihana," the young teacher uttered after a moment, and that name sent a chill down Kakashi's spine. A fear took form in his mind, and as he looked into Iruka's eyes, he knew at once that it had been realized. "Ichigo. She took Ichigo. I'm sorry, Kakashi. I couldn't protect her." Ashamed and defeated, the man lowered his head, his bottom lip trembling as he wallowed in his own uselessness. Kakashi looked at him pitifully. He knew how that felt, and he couldn't blame him.

"I'm sure you tried your best. Knowing Nanami, it wasn't a fair fight anyway," he sighed and looked down at his hounds. "All of you, split up. Find Ichigo's scent and follow it. When you find where it leads, report back to me," he demanded, and the dogs barked loudly in acknowledgement before dashing off into the trees. Kakashi then helped Iruka to his feet, pulling his arm around his shoulders to support his weight. Though Kakashi would prefer nothing more than to look for the girl himself, it wasn't prudent; Iruka would die without medical help, and Nanami likely had an army behind her. He would need a full squad of Jonin to retrieve his student from her mother's clutches.

 _Just hold on, Ichigo. Help is on the way._

 _Hold on._

Somewhere deep in the forests that filled the Land of Fire, Ichigo was slowly waking. Her head was throbbing painfully as she drifted into consciousness, and with her eyes still closed, she reached up to tenderly press her hand over the area of her skull that was bursting with pain. She could feel a nice-sized knot beneath her tangles of white hair, which had strangely been pulled put of her pigtails. Still groggy with sleep and momentarily unsure of what had quite occurred, she cracked her eyes open expecting to be blinded with light; instead, she was greeted with a dank darkness, the only light provided by flickering fire. Above her head was a dirty stone ceiling, where shadows chased each other as the orange glow burned in and out. _Where am I?_

Confused, the girl sat up and found herself in a room constructed of the same sandy gray stone, patternless and bleak. Two torches burned on each wall, casting her in that muted orange glow and adding to the atmosphere of gloom to the dungeon-like room. As she moved to stand, she heard a clinking sound, and she looked at her feet to find that they were bound in iron chains. Panic immediately flared in her breast; gasping aloud, she grabbed the chains and attempted to wrench them loose, but despite their ramshackle appearance they held tight. She pulled her hands away to find that they were stained with a flaky, reddish substance that she discovered, to her horror, could only be dried blood. Slowly, the memories trickled into her mind.

 _My mother kidnapped me!_

That realization hit her like an anchor plunging into the sea, and the fear burst inside of her. She curled up into a ball, quivering so violently that the chain links clanked together repeatedly. Tears stung her eyes that were squeezed shut; she had reverted to the mentality of a child, and if she closed her eyes and wished it away, it would simply not be true. It was not so. When she lifted her head, she was in the same dank, dark room with the chain around her ankles, at the mercy of her murderous, traitorous mother. Questions raced through her mind like stampeding horses.

 _What does she want with me? What is she going to do with me? What about Iruka-sensei? Is he dead? Will anyone even know I'm missing before it's too late?_ She had no answers to those questions, only terrifying possibilities, and she could summon none of the bravado that she had displayed in the Land of Waves. She wasn't a ninja here; she was a child, meek and powerless in a world that was much to big for her.

It was then that she realized that she could not feel Hotaru's presence inside her.

Nearly manic, she yanked her shirt down to inspect the seal on her chest, and found with terror that something had been added to it; around the five-pointed star was a circular counter-seal made of squiggly lines. No matter how much she called put for the wolf spirit, he would not answer her. "Hotaru?" she whimpered quietly once more into the dark. She was alone- completely, utterly alone.

"He can't hear you, dear," tutted a voice from the dark, and she glanced up fearfully to see that one of the walls had opened up into a dark passage, and her mother was casually standing there, hands on her hips and a smug smirk on her plump lips. "Don't worry. We just didn't want him putting ideas into your head. You'll be able to talk to him again soon enough." Ichigo did not respond to her mother's menacing words, only scooted backwards as far as the chains would allow her. "Ugh, look at you. How can _my_ daughter look so _pathetic?_ You are a Tsukihana! Have some _pride!"_ she screamed at her suddenly, and Ichigo screamed as the woman whipped out a kunai and flung it at her. It crashed into one of the floor tiles beside the terrified girl, throwing up sparks as it nicked the stone surface before clattering harmlessly to the ground. Ichigo didn't even make a move to pick it up; she held her hands to her chest, as if placing a barrier between herself and the object of all her fears.

 _She's going to do something to me. She's going to use me to attack the village, she_ _ **said**_ _so! What do I do? What do I do?_ She thought, hyperventilating as she realized the inevitability of the situation. "Absolutely shameful. Only half an hour ago you were all bravado, giving yourself up to save your stupid wolf. You disgust me," the woman spat and then suddenly pulled out something from behind her back. It was Ichigo's sword, sheathed in its simple leather hilt. She tossed it at the girl's feet. "Pick it up, Ichigo. You want to kill me, don't you? Try it. I dare you."

Ichigo looked down at the sword, the simple blade wrapped in the simple leather sheath, and her mind flew to the day that her father passed it on to her. _"This was your grandfather's. Use it well."_ The maelstrom of fear whirling inside her began to dissipate, replaced by the cool calmness of clarity.

"This sword is not meant to harm," she murmured, looking up at her mother with firm eyes, "but to protect. I will not raise it against you." If she gave into her hatred and fear, she would become the weapon that her mother so desperately wanted her to become. _Like Hotaru told me, they cannot use me as long as I remain true to myself._ Her mother pursed her lips, dissatisfied with the answer.

"Your father has those same pathetic ideals, as did your grandfather. I'll break them soon enough," she scowled. Ichigo gasped as her mother wrenched out her own sword and stomped over to her, and she threw up her arms to defend herself; however, the blade was not aimed at her, but at the chains binding her. The steel blade cleaved through the links, and then the woman jerked Ichigo to her feet. Though Ichigo fought viciously, she was but a mere child against an adult, and her strength was outmatched. Nanami dragged her down the dark hallway, ignoring her daughter's screams of protest, and wrenched her into another room similar to the first. In the center of _this_ room was a stone table inscribed with strange markings, and the room was filled with several other members of their clan, all grinning maliciously as Ichigo was thrown onto the table and forcibly strapped down with leather straps. She strained against the bindings, but to no avail, and the clan exiles gathered around her.

"What are you going to do to me?" she demanded, glaring at her mother, who was standing behind her with her arms raised above her head. In those finely manicured hands was her mother's sword, nicked at the edges from countless battles.

"I am going to give you power, my daughter- power unparalleled in this world. You will be like a goddess amongst these mortals, and when the time is right, we will harness that power to take back the mantle," she answered cryptically. Before the young girl could call the obviously crazed woman insane, the woman plunged the sword downward, right towards Ichigo's chest. She screamed, expecting to die in that instant; however, as the tip of the sword hit the seal inked into her skin, it was not blood that exploded from her chest, but radiant light. An unearthly wind ripped through the room, causing Ichigo's white hair to whip wildly around her pale face; the light seemed to have physical form, as she _felt_ it flooding over her like crystalline water, filling her mouth and washing over her face as ribbons of it burst around the room and plunged into the chests of the surrounding clansmen. They began to murmur under their breath as they seamlessly weaved hand signs, and the room began to tremble like an earthquake had hit the earth. Ichigo squeezed her eyes shut, blinded by the light with a light of its own, as dust rained down from the stone ceiling.

" _With this power, we shall rule the world!"_


	27. Chapter 26: The Ritual

As Kakashi walked out of the hospital where he had managed to deliver the barely-alive Iruka to safety, one of his hounds dropped down from the roof of a nearby building, wagging his tail and his tongue lolling as he panted heavily. Apparently he has discovered the girl's scent and had arrived to report with impeccable timing. As Kakashi strode over to the hound, two forms appeared on either side of him; one was a man with wild brown hair and a bandage wrapped across his face, and another was a man with shorter brunette hair and his face disfigured by a scar. They were the reinforcements that Kakashi had requested en route to the hospital.

"Have you been informed of the situation?" inquired Kakashi as the dog barked and began dashing off, intent on leading them to Ichigo's location. The three Jonin took off after the hound.

"Yes, as have the elders. The Anbu have already converged on the area of the battle and will join us in the rescue," reported one of them. Kakashi didn't like the sound of that. _You mean, they'll kill her if they determine that she's a threat,_ he thought with displeasure, his one exposed eye narrowed as he followed his hound into the woods where Iruka had battle the girl's deranged mother. _I just hope that Ichigo can hold out._

 _We're on our way, Ichigo. Just a little longer._

Meanwhile, Ichigo was drowning under the intense light pouring from her body; it smothered her with its brilliant radiance, pouring into her mouth and nose like water. Somehow, it had a physical form, but she was still able to breath as it flooded over her, bathing her in the whiteness. She strained against the restraints pinning her to the table, veins popping as her muscles flexed, but she was not able to break through the strong leather bindings. All around her, the members of her exiled clan were murmuring under their breath as they continued to weave through hand signs in some sort of complicated ritual with the confused, helpless girl as the centerpiece. Ichigo's eyes had been squeezed shut the entire time, blinded by the rich white light, but she cracked on open to see her mother still hunched over her with her hands wrapped around the hilt of the sword that was currently halfway plunged into the glowing seal on Ichigo's chest. Her eyes were closed, and she was murmured the ritual in sync with her comrades.

 _What is she doing to me?_ Ichigo thought wildly as she watched the ribbons of light swirling in the air like fabric flapping in a wild wind. Suddenly, the chanting ceased, and Ichigo jumped as her mother's eyes snapped open. The light ceased gushing from the area in her breast, dimming to a pulsing semi-sphere of light against the girl's chest, with the elaborate star-shaped seal glimmering with white light. Her mother's hands clenched around the worn leather hilt of her blade as she raised her head, eyes narrowed with a sheen of perspiration shining on her flawless skin.

"The seal is open. Bring forth the jars," she instructed. As commanded, her underlings procured four clay jars with tags sealing the lid to the container and placed them around the stone table with resounding _thunks_. They were large jars, standing about as half as tall as the average man, and Ichigo had no idea as to what could be contained within. Once again at her mother's bidding, the first one was opened; the clansmen carefully pulled off the tags and pulled off the heavy clay lid, and then stumbled back as brilliant blue light exploded from the jar like a geyser. The light rocketed through the room, whirling in a circle across the ceiling like a comet before diving straight for the sword sticking out of Ichigo's chest. As it collided with the sword, the blade absorbed the light, vibrating with the force; it was so intense that Ichigo and the table began to quake so violently that her teeth knocked together and her bones hummed.

Ichigo didn't notice, however, because she was too busy screaming with agony.

Her back arched as it felt like a fire exploded within her chest as the light poured into her body, and an unearthly scream spilled from her mouth. She had never felt anything so painful; it paled in comparison to the beating she suffered at the hands of Zabuza. No, this was pure torture, and her arms and legs spasmed and her head whipped back and forth as she screamed over and over and over again. It felt like her blood itself was lava, shooting through her veins and melting her from the inside out. The light continued to surge into her body like a jet stream, until after what seemed like hours, the last dregs of the liquid-like light disappeared into her body and she flopped against the table, panting and whimpering. Sweat slicked her white hair to her forehead, and her body throbbed painfully in the wake of the agonizing experience. _Is it over?_ She thought weakly. "Open the second jar," he mother barked.

Ichigo's eyes snapped open when she heard that, and began to sputter pleas as the clay lid thunked against the concrete ground and a golden light spilled forth from the jar, behaving just as the first strange phenomenon did. This time it was more painful from the last, and her entire body jerked uncontrollably as the golden light was absorbed by the pulsing seal on her chest. All she could hear was herself screaming incomprehensibly, and all she could see was that ephemeral light, blasting into her body and filling her with what seemed like pure electricity. It certainly seemed like she was being electrocuted, with the way her muscles were spasming out of control and her nerves seemed to on overdrive, blasting pain signals so fierce that she could barely comprehend them. When it was over, her body landed heavily against the stone table, and she was sobbing.

"Stop. Stop, please," she begged her mother, who was just staring down at her with her lips pursed.

"The next."

" _Gyyaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"_ The light was green this time, the color of the emerald leaves of the trees above the underground compound, and as it poured into her it felt like the ceiling had collapsed and was crushing her frail body beneath tons of stone and earth. She was thrashing so wildly that one of her legs actually snapped the leather binding from the table, and as they went to secure her she kicked one of the ninja wildly in the face, leaving his nose broken and gushing blood. Ichigo didn't even notice, though; all she knew was pain, ungodly pain, and her own agonized wails. She wanted to die; it hurt so much that nothing seemed worth living for if she had to endure this pain over and over again. Under the intense pressure, she was sure that her bones were being ground to a fine powder and her flesh was being crushed into a mushy pulp, but when the light faded she found that her body was still very much intact, thought trembling uncontrollably. She couldn't even speak anymore, just gasped for breath with unintelligible gurgling as she reeled in the wake of the tortuous ritual. There was one more jar, she knew that, but dear God, it hurt so much. She couldn't survive any more of it. _Just kill me. No more. Please,_ her silver eyes, half-lidded as she remained barely conscious, pleaded to the emotionless woman standing above her holding the sword into her chest that was still pulsing with soft light.

"The last." Whimpering pathetically, Ichigo turned her head to the side, her white hair falling into her face as she tried to somehow brace herself for the pain that she knew was going to hit her at any moment; however, tensing her muscles made it all the more painful as the blazing silvery light that surged out of the jar crashed into the sword as the three prior light waves had done. She couldn't even scream anymore; her mouth just hung open in a silent wail as pain worse than the three trials before gripped her entire body. It felt like she was being torn apart from the inside by millions of sharp, painful blades, ripping through her blood vessels to tear through her flesh with glee. _I'm dying, I'm dying, I'm dying,_ was all she could think as she lay in the throes of the purest, most unimaginable agony, her body shaking violently and her toes curling and her limbs thrashing about. Just as she was beginning to lose consciousness, it was finally over, and she slumped down against the table wheezing and barely clinging to the waking world. Her vision faded in and out of focus as she stared dimly up at her mother, who was still regarding that with that dissatisfied look.

"Did it work?" one of the men in the room uttered quietly.

"I must close the seal," the woman answered. The strange light that had burst out of Ichigo materialized above Ichigo's head, swirling like milky white water, and then splashed over her like a cool waterfall. Fortunately for Ichigo, it was painless just as it had been when the seal had been opened, and she just watched weakly as the light danced down the silver edge of the blade to pour back into her body. Once it was complete, her mother yanked the sword out of her body, leaving the seal on her chest pulsing not red, but a rainbow of colors. The squiggly lines around the star-shaped mark had vanished, and four identical marks had been inked into her skin, forming a circle of stars just below her collarbone. "Now, we must see if the jutsu takes," her mother exhaled heavily, obviously exhausted. She slumped back against the wall, her hand over her chest as she caught her breath. Before Ichigo could inquire as to what the woman had done to her, she felt every cell in her body pulse, and then it felt like the all burst at once.

" _ **AHHHHHHHHHHHH!"**_ A shrill scream erupted from her lungs as something exploded inside of her, sending everything in her body into overdrive; all she knew was pain, but it was not like before. It felt like her chakra network was flooding with energy, filling to capacity and to the point of bursting. Her body quaked as she slowly turned her head from side to side, her muscles once more straining against the bonds securing her hands and her remaining foot. Her head was pounding, filled with snarling voices that were speaking so loudly and quickly that she could not comprehend them. Her senses were being overrun, and she couldn't _stand_ it. Something primal awoke in her, and all she knew was one thing: she had to escape from this place.

A deep, guttural growl slipped out of her, an inhuman snarl that caused even the hardiest man in the room quiver and back away from the table. As her arm flexed powerfully beside her head, the leather strap around her wrist frayed and tore under the strain. Her arm jerked into view, and in her hazy vision it looked like her hand was clawed and covered in fur, but she was so out of it that she didn't even register the fact. A high-pitched, lupine yowl slipped out of her mouth, which seemed bigger and filled with sharp fangs, as she tore through the second restraint, and she sat up to rip through the leather holding her foot. "Hold her! She cannot escape!" she heard her mother shouting, and the ninja surged forward in an attempt to restrain her. A roar with enough volume to shake the earth itself exploded from her mouth, and a shockwave blasted from her body, throwing the men and woman back against the walls like limp rag dolls. Ichigo perched like some sort of feral creature on the table, all traces of her human consciousness competing with the monstrous chakras that were surging through her body and attempting to take control. Something furry brushed against her leg, and she glanced down to find that a bushy, wolfish tail had sprouted from the small of her back. In the far corner of her mind that contained her humanity, she trembled, realized with horror that she had become some sort of monster. It felt like she was watching her body through a movie screen in an empty room, completely out of control, and yet at the same time committing every action herself.

Ichigo hopped out of the table and ran down the dark hallway, leaving the dazed ninja behind as she raced through the dank tunnel at inhuman speed. Somehow, she could smell the fresh air of the world below, and she followed that scent through the labyrinthine tunnels that snaked beneath the earth; suddenly, daylight blazed in her vision, and the overpowering scents of tree sap and soil and fresh leaves and grass and woodland animals poured into her oversensitive nose. There was something else, too- the smell of man. Snarling, Ichigo dropped down on all fours as a group of ninja appeared in the boughs of the trees surrounding the hidden base she had sprung from. Her tail lashed as her animalistic eyes flashed between the men, many of which bore masks, until they landed on a man with silver her.

The human part of her took over for a moment. _Kakashi-sensei!_

"Ichigo," he said calmly, walking toward her with his hands raised in surrender. The monsters inside of her attempted to overpower her, causing her to growl and lash out at the air with a clawed, paw-like hand. _No! Shut up!_ She screamed inside her head at the shadowy wolfish beings prowling in her subconscious, their overbearing chakras trying to smother her. "Ichigo, I need you to come back. It's all right now. You're safe," he reassured her. He was a few yards away now, his exposed eye gazing at her with the warmth and worry of a teacher. Ichigo's body twitched as she struggled to regain control of herself.

"Kakashi-sensei," she whispered as she stiffly rose up onto her feet, feeling her bones cracking with effort. The fur on her arms and legs shrunk back, and her furry tail began to retreat inside of her; her fingernails and teeth began to resume their human shape, too. As she began to finally return to reality, slowly becoming more aware of the situation around her, tears began to leak out of her wide silver eyes. "What did she do to me? What am I?" she whimpered. As her emotional state wavered, the wolfish side of her burst forth once more, and forced her to spring as her sensei with an inhuman howl. Rather than pull a weapon on her, he snatched her up by her wrists, holding her firmly as she screeched angrily and attempted to jerk away from him. Despite her increased strength, he was still able to keep a solid hold on the wolf-like girl.

"Ichigo! You need to regain control of yourself!" he barked at her. The Anbu that had accompanied him had jumped down, intent to kill her, and they hovered just out of range with their weapons drawn.

"She's beyond help, Kakashi! Step aside! We have to destroy her before she turns loose on the village!" one of them yelled. This infuriated that monster overtaking her, and she roared angrily; the chakra medley within her swirled, and began to leak into the world. The ground beneath the ninja's feet began to crack. Fire sparked in the grass, surging up in a wild blaze and licking at their retreating forms. The wind whirled in a maelstrom, pulling at their hair and clothes; the atmosphere became charged with electricity, sparking on their metal weapons and causing them to drop them as they were viciously shocked. Water began to leach from the ground, puddling around their feet as if it had a life of its own. All the while, the Ichigo-wolf hybrid continued to howl and attempt to break free of the man's strong grip.

"No! I won't abandon her!" Kakashi shouted back angrily. "She is my student! I failed to protect her. It's my job to bring her back!"

 _Protect._ The human part of her, huddled in a corner as the pulsing chakra threatened to take her, looked up at the word. _Protect and defend, until the very end._

 _That's… My job,_ she thought numbly. As the deafening voices howled around her, she became suddenly aware that a familiar voice was calling her name. She stood up in the darkness, blinking as the shadowy forms continued to prowl and lash their tails, while one of them bounded forward into the light.

"Ichigo!" Hotaru barked as he dashed over to her, and she fell to her knees to wrap her arms around his thick, furry neck in a hug. "I was finally able to reach you," he purred in her ear as he nuzzled her with his long snout while she buried her face into his russet fur. "It is time for you to take back control. Your will is strong, Ichigo." Yes, her will. That is all she needed. She wasn't quite sure what was happening, and what force had overtaken her, but she knew that she needed to wrest back control.

 _This is my body,_ she asserted to the darkness pulsing just beyond the circle of light she was contained in. _You can't have it._ _ **I**_ _control_ _ **you**_ _!_ The forms tucked their tails between their legs, whimpering under her thunderous force of will. They muttered resistance, but she narrowed her eyes and scowled. _Submit to me!_

Suddenly, Ichigo was fully awake, and her body had returned to normal. Dazed, she blinked as she struggled to comprehend what had happened, while Kakashi was still holding her by her wrists. "Ichigo?" he asked her in concerned, releasing her and stepping forward to gently sweep strands of her white hair out of her face, which shone with a sheen of sweat. Her mind was a muddled portrait of confused memories, and all she could do was stare stupidly up at him with her mouth hanging open. She couldn't explain what had happened, and didn't know what her mother had done to her; but, she was safe. She smiled when she realized that, wobbling as the relief flooded her body. She suddenly realized how tired she was, and as she stumbled forward, collapsing, her sensei caught her in his sturdy arms. The ninja continued to hover around the clearing, concerned, but the girl ignored them as she smiled sleepily up at her sensei.

"I signed the form, Kakashi-sensei. I can participate in the Chunin exams, right?" she mumbles sleepily, on the edge of delirium as her sensei picked her up, holding one arm beneath her knees and the other tucked beneath her back. Her white hair hung down to the grassy ground, swirling beneath her and catching the sunlight streaming through the leaves above.

"That's right, Ichigo. Now get some sleep. You've done very well," he told her gently, but Ichigo was already way ahead of him. As her consciousness faded, her head lolled back and her body went limp, but despite everything she had suffered, a tiny smile had formed on her mouth…


	28. Chapter 27: Ichigo's Recovery

Ichigo rose slowly into the waking world, her mind a muddled mess of half-finished thoughts and confused assertions. At first, it felt as if she were floating in air, weightless, surrounded by nothing; gradually, though, she could discern the soft cushioning of a mattress beneath her back and the cooling embrace of linens around her, and the smell of fresh laundry soaps wafting into her nose. When she was finally to a point that she could open her eyes, she was met with the glaring brightness of a white ceiling, and further inspection revealed white walls and white sheets. The only color in the room was a small wooden nightstand beside her bed with a vase of colorful flowers. She was in a hospital room.

Groaning as she slowly pushed herself into a sleeping position, her muscles quite sore, she tried to remember what had occurred to land herself in such a state. _Kakashi gave us the forms for the Chunin exams._ She gasped as she recalled this and frantically ran her hands over her clothes, but to her dismay she had been changed into hospital clothes and had none of her personal effects. _Please don't let it be lost,_ she prayed as she flopped back into the feather pillows. _Let's see… I was attacked by a strange man after I signed it, and then…_

Then the memories hit her like a tidal wave, one with enough force to knock the breath from her lungs. Her clan, her mother, the strange ritual, the beastly transformation- the visions came rushing at her like gushing streams of water, and it was almost too much to take; she cradled her head as it felt like it would burst from the strain of recollecting so much at once. After the pounding sensation lessened and the river of information dwindled, she dropped her hands into her lap and gazed down at them miserably, wondering what beastly power she now had contained within her body.

"Has she made me into a monster?" she whispered. She felt a cold wetness running down her cheek, and watched the teardrops land into her palms, which were strangely pristine with new skin rather than scratches and scrapes. She must have been here for a while. At this realization, panic took hold of her once more. "Oh, no! Have I missed the deadline to sign up for the exams?" she cried as her hands flew into her white hair to dig into the long strands.

"Not quite. The examinations begin tomorrow," came the amused response, and the startled girl's head snapped to the doorway to find her teacher leaning in the threshold, arms crossed and the smile on his face evident even beneath the mask he always wore. He reached into his vest to pull out a folded piece of paper, which she happily recognized as her application. "I held on to this for you, just so it wouldn't get lost. Now that you're awake, I'm sure they'll have you discharged, so you can have it back," he told her as he crossed the room and placed the folded square into her hands.

"Kakashi-sensei, what happened to me?" she asked immediately. She had been in the hospital for quite some time, so surely the medical staff had discovered what her mother had done to her. To her disappointment, an uncomfortable look came over the adult's face and he rubbed the back of his head awkwardly.

"No one is quite sure. By the time we had you calmed down, your mother and her followers had already fled the hideout through a hidden back passage. The Anbu tracked her to the border, but we couldn't follow her any further," he admitted. "As for whatever happened to you in there, all we could find was that your chakra levels have increased significantly. Your father suspects that your mother attempted to subject you to a sealing ritual similar to the one you underwent at birth, but it didn't take."

"So, she tried to seal more wolves inside of me?" It made sense. She shuddered as she remembered being locked within her own subconscious, while the shadowy figures prowled in the dark, snarling at her in anger. _So those were wolf spirits attempting to inhabit my body…_ "Why would she do such a thing?" Kakashi-sensei shrugged in response.

"As for that, we don't know. It was a very dangerous thing for her to do. The sealing jutsu normally takes place at birth because the spirits are less inclined to try and take over the host's body, and are therefore benevolent. Even more, the amount of chakra sealed within the body is very small, containing a handful of the spirits. The amount she tried to seal within you was at least twenty times that amount. Honestly, Ichigo, there was only a ten percent chance that you would have survived the ordeal," he explained to her, looking down at her with a mixture of concern and wonder. _Ten percent?_ She thought with wide eyes, placing a hand on the seal hidden beneath the fabric of her shirt. The ungodly amount of pain she had endured certainly did convince her that she had been dying, but had she really come that close?

 _It was your will to survive,_ Hotaru's voice rumbled in her head. _Your will to live is what kept you from dying._ "Of course, this is all things your father told me. I don't know anything about it," the teacher sighed as he ran a hand through his silvery locks. As he brought up her father, she leaned around him to glance into the hallway, expecting the red-haired man to be lurking outside. "Your father isn't here. He was called away on a mission a few days ago," he told her once he noticed what she was doing.

"Oh. I see…" she responded quietly, trying not to seem too disappointed. _He was only home such a short time… I wanted him to teach me more about how to fight with Hotaru,_ she thought miserably. "So, even Father isn't sure what exactly happened."

"No. We had a hard time convincing the elders to allow your ninja training to continue because of that."

"What?" she gasped, yanked out of her introspection. Her hands balled into fists, shaking, as she looked up at him in shock and anger. _They were going to try and stop me from becoming a ninja_ _ **again**_ _?!_

 _Typical humans. They fear that which they cannot understand,_ Hotaru's snide, rough bark resounded in her head.

"Don't worry. Since all your medical examinations could find no evidence of the jutsu taking, they've agreed to let you continue onward," he smiled reassuringly down at her, reaching out to pat her on the top of the head. Hotaru was strangely quiet. "I have to go now. There's a lot to do for the Chunin Exams," he sighed, suddenly looking exhausted despite the fact that he had probably not done anything yet. "I'll see you tomorrow," he added with a slight wave before exiting the room, leaving Ichigo alone. Frowning slightly, she pulled down the front of her shirt to inspect the seal on her chest.

 _If the jutsu didn't take… Then why does my seal still have five stars instead of one?_ She thought as her silver eyes traced the circle of stars inked into her skin. Again, her wolf spirit offered no comment. She exhaled deeply and released the fabric, allowing it to shift back into place.

"I don't have time to worry about that. First things first, the Chunin Exams."

As Kakashi had predicted, once the nurses had discovered that she was conscious, they called in the doctor for one final physical examination before effectively discharging her. After changing into her ninja gear, which they had washed for her, she tucked the application safely into her ninja bag before exiting the large building. She never did know what her mother had done with the ribbons she tied up her hair with, so it flowed freely, cascading down her back in uniform waves that shone like freshly fallen snow in the glaring sunlight. She glanced up at the sky to find that it was deep into the afternoon, and the blue sky was beginning to become stained with red as the sun approached the horizon. "I guess there'll be no last-minute training for me," she sighed. Not that she wanted to, anyway- the beating she had taken during to ordeal was still evident in her aching muscles and throbbing bones, so one more night of rest would probably suit her better. As she cast her gaze back to earth, she screamed when yellow hair and an orange jumpsuit dominated her vision.

"Ichigo! You're awake!" Naruto squealed as he crashed into her, knocking her roughly to the ground as he hugged her tightly. "Man, we were so worried! Well, I was, anyway, I don't know about _those_ two," je sniggered as he sat straddling her in the dust, grinning stupidly as Ichigo lay spitting out locks of her hair and reeling. Before she could react, Sakura stomped up behind him and snatched him up by the back of his white collar, wrenching him off the girl to literally vault him over her shoulder and send him sailing through the air back down the path. He landed in a crumpled heap at a very unimpressed Sasuke's feet.

"You moron! That's no way to treat someone who just got put of the hospital! You wanna put her back in?" she screeched at him while stamping her feet and grinding her teeth, while Naruto was whimpering and rubbing his head. She tossed her pink hair primly before smiling down at her, offering a hand to pull her up. "Of course I was worried! Kakashi-sensei didn't tell us anything! He just said you had been kidnapped and hurt really badly!" she tutted as she helped the girl to her feet.

"Yeah, Ichigo, what _did_ happen?" Naruto demanded from his seat on the dirt path. Ichigo frowned slightly, unsure of how to respond. She didn't want to keep secrets from her friends, but she felt like until she understood what exactly _had_ happened to her and what her mother's intentions were, she probably shouldn't divulge too much.

"I'm not sure. I was unconscious most of the time. All I really know is that they tried this weird jutsu on me, but it didn't really work," she explained tactfully. It wasn't a lie, really. Thankfully, they seemed to take it at face value, even Naruto. They all looked at her for a moment, likely contemplating pressing the issue further, before they all shrugged it off.

"Well, at least you woke up before the exams," Sasuke said. That was about as close to a consoling comment as she was probably going to get out of him. "Anyway, Ichigo, are you up to a little bit of training?" he asked her, looking at her with those smug, glittering dark eyes and smirk. _He's trying to goad me without saying anything! "I bet you're too tired, huh, weakling?" The nerve!_ She thought wildly.

"Yeah! Yeah! We all wanna see what your wolf can do!" Naruto cried, pumping his fists in the air. This took her by surprise.

"Huh? That's what you meant?"

"Yeah! We only got to see a little bit in the Land of Waves. Come on, Ichigo, please? It looked so cool!" Sakura begged her, clasping her hands together as her green eyes gazed at her pleadingly.

 _Come on! Let's give these punks a show!_ Hotaru yipped, finally breaking his silence at the prospect of showing off. She knew he would never let her live it down if he refused, so she consented, and her three comrades cheered (well, Sakura and Naruto did, all she got out of Sasuke was a smile) and they walked the short distance to a nearby training ground where her flames wouldn't cause trouble. As the three stood off to the side, Sakura wriggling with excitement, Naruto's face turning pink from holding his breath, and Sasuke watching intently, she unsheathed her sword and prepared to summon the wolf.

 _Hold on, Ichigo,_ he interrupted as she prepared to call him. _There are a few tricks your father didn't get a chance to teach you that may help you in the Chunin Exams. Why don't I show you one right now?_

 _Get on with it, then! I look stupid just standing here!_ She whined back to him silently, blushing as the three continued to watch her closely.

 _Watch it, brat. Remember that I can choose not to come out._ She uttered a quick apology before she heard him clear his wolfish throat. _Because chakra wolves are not living beings, but composed of pure chakra, they have certain special characteristics. One of those is the ability to take on different sizes. Depending on the amount of chakra you pull from your body, I can be as large as a house, or as small as a mouse,_ he explained. _You have only been pulling the standard amount due to your inexperience._

 _Wow. I never even realized,_ she thought with knitted eyebrows as she listened to the lesson.

"Uh, Ichigo, are you gonna _do_ something?" Naruto whined, his hands behind his head as he looked at her in boredom.

"I'm talking to Hotaru right now! Be patient!" she snapped back at him hotly, flushing with embarrassment. _Okay, okay, so how do I do it?_ She asked impatiently.

 _Focus on my chakra._ She closed her eyes and did so, and she could feel it burning slightly within her chest, a flickering ball of pure, unbridled energy. _Very good. Think of it as a cup of water. You can take it, can pour just a little, half, or all of it._ She grimaced slightly as she struggled to imagine the ball of chakra as a cup of water, but struggled to do so.

 _It looks more like a meat bun to me…_

 _Fine. A meat bun, then,_ the wolf snorted with derision. _The same principle applies. You can tear off a piece, half, or take the whole thing, yes? Now, grab it,_ _ **all**_ _of it, and withdraw all the power to summon me at my full size,_ he commanded. She bit down on her lip, focusing intently on the ball of chakra/meat bun thing, and imagined reaching out with her hand to clutch it. She felt the chakra flutter inside of her as she mentally grasped Hotaru's chakra, feeling it pulsing with anticipation; then, with one fluid movement, she yanked it all forward, sending it flooding throughout her body. She kept pulling, draining the last dregs of the chakra from the seal, and her chakra network swirled with the reddish fiery chakra, though the strain was nothing compared to the massive dosage she had received during the strange jutsu. Her eyes snapped open to find the groove of her sword shining with the red light, and then the blade burst into flames with much more intensity than she had ever seen before.

"All right! Show 'em what you got, Hotaru!" she cried as she swung the sword, the flames licking the air before springing from the sharp edge of the blade. Rather than jumping off as normal, a wall of fire blazed in the path of her sword, rising to the height of the green tree canopy. She heard her three friends gasp and stumble backwards as the intense heat poured from the hungry fire, which was gradually morphing into a lupine shape. As suddenly as it had come, the flames dissipated, leaving behind the russet fur of her wolf companion. His massive head brushed the leaves of the treetops and the ground rumbled slightly as he shook out his thick fur, tiny sparks of fire flickering among the hairs as his body shook. His fluffy tail generated a slight wind as it wagged slightly, and Ichigo sauntered out from behind his massive legs. "So, what did you guys think of that?" she beamed at the three other Genin, who were on their butts at the edge of the clearing.

"Awesooooome!" Naruto crowed and threw his hands in the air, then scrambled to his feet to run over to the massive hound. "He's _huge!_ Looks at those paws! They could crush a guy! And his mouth! You could swallow someone _whole!_ " he cackled with delight, jumping up and down while Hotaru theatrically bared his fangs at the obviously impressed ninja. " _Wicked!"_ Naruto snickered.

"Wait a minute. Last time he was just the size of a normal wolf! When did he get this big?" Sakura cried. Ichigo smirked as she patted the wolf's giant haunches, grateful for his aid in helping her impress her friends.

"That's what took so long. Hotaru was explaining this little trick to me! Apparently I can manipulate his size depending on how much chakra I pull out of the seal."

"Seal?" Sasuke echoed.

"Oh, right. Hotaru isn't a normal summon. He's made of chakra, and that chakra is sealed inside my body," she said and pulled down her shirt some to show them the seal. They gathered close to peer at it, eyes wide, and she blushed that the boys were a little too close to her chest for comfort. She hurriedly hid the seal back behind her shirt. She could still feel about a third of the chakra still fluttering inside of her. "I didn't even get it all. If I had, he would probably be the size of a mountain!" she grinned, her body jumping as the giant wolf plopped down into a sitting position, tail wagging and tongue lolling.

"You could almost mistake him for a real dog," Naruto snickered.

"Bold words for someone within eating range," Hotaru barked, baring his teeth, and Naruto yelped and scrambled away. Ichigo laughed and stroked his fur, calming him a little.

"It talks!" the blonde boy cried, one hand on the top of his hand and the other pointing at the lupine creature.

"Of course I talk. Can I eat this idiot, Ichigo?" he growled back and licked his jaws hungrily, causing a visible shudder to travel up the boy's body. The kunoichi laughed and stood on her tip-toes to scratch his chin in an appealing gesture; his tongue lolled out of his mouth and his back foot rhythmically thumped the ground. "Ahh… That's nice…"

"So what does he _do_?" Sasuke asked with his arms crossed as he watched the wolf in mild disdain.

"Hotaru boosts the powers of my fire-style jutsu, but he's also pretty handy in fighting off other enemies or disabling someone so I can go in for the attack," she explained, stepping aside as the wolf stretched out onto his belly and butted her with his head, demanding to be pet. She scratched him behind the ears and he practically melted beneath her, drooling and wagging his tail with his eyes closed and his wolfish jaws pulled back into a smile. "He looks pretty tame right now, but he's quite fierce. He's gotten me out of a few sticky situations."

"Tame? Quiet, girl. Do you know how long it has been since I've had a good scratch? You're only a means to an end," he huffed at her, making her giggle. _You're tough, but just admit that you enjoy it!_ She teased him silently. "Don't start thinking I'm your pet," he warned.

"Never," she mused, but crouched down to hug him around his head. "Hotaru's gonna be a big help in the Chunin Exams! Just you watch!"

"Oh, so you are taking them, Ichigo?" Naruto asked, and she proudly gave him a thumbs-up.

"Of course! I wouldn't miss it for the world!"

"Cha! Me either!" Sakura cried and pumped the air with her fist.

"All right!" Naruto snickered and did a little dance. "I'm in, of course. What about you, Sasuke?"

"Moron. _Of course_ I'm entering. What better way to test how strong I am?" the boy snorted in response and rolled his eyes. Ichigo smiled brightly as she continued to pet her wolf and watch the two boys dissolve into banter, as always, while Sakura tried to mediate.

 _I have good friends, don't you think, Hotaru?_

 _Well, they could be worse,_ he shrugged, but smirked a wolfish smirk at her. As the sun set, the four Genin entered the final hours before the Chunin Exams in a bright and cheerful mood.

None of them knew, however, how much these exams would _really_ test them…


	29. Chapter 28: The Competition Heats Up!

Ichigo tilted her face slightly as she wound the light blue ribbon around her second pigtail, nimble fingers tying the thin fabric into a knot. She tossed her head about a few times, her smooth white hair swishing about her waist, and when she was satisfied that the ribbons would hold she slung her sword sheath over her shoulder and secured the belt around her chest. As its weight fell across her back, it felt like a part of her that had been missing had fallen back into place, like she was fractured and again made whole. She picked up her Chunin exam entrance form and glanced up into the bathroom mirror, a smile already forming on her face. _Today is the day- the Chunin Exams! Are you ready, Hotaru?_

 _Definitely,_ the wolf growled from within her, baring his teeth in some kind of gruesome smile. _I've been itching for a good fight ever since that vile woman made a fool of us._ Ichigo shuddered slightly as she remembered her mother's twisted smile as she opened her arms to embrace her with the full intent to abuse her abilities, and the swirling streams of light that poured into her body with that excruciating pain. Hastily, she pushed the memory to the back of her mind to focus on the task at hand. Tucking the piece of paper into her equipment pouch, she hurried out of the house to meet her teammates at the Konoha Ninja Academy where the examinations were being conducted. As she dashed down the dirt streets, weaving through the shopping crowds, the soreness in her muscles that had been present before had all but disappeared.

"Look out, Chunin Exams, because here I come!" she puffed breathlessly and poured on more speed, eager to reach her destination.

Her friends were waiting for her beneath the sprawling tree in the yard beside the Academy. Naruto was slouched over in the little swing, using his toes to gently push himself back and forth. Sasuke was leaned up against the solid trunk, his arms crossed and that perpetual look of displeasure on his face, while Sakura was cheerfully trying to flirt without achieving the desired results. As Ichigo came running into the yard, Naruto hopped up from the swing with an elated grin.

"All right! Ichigo's here! Let's go in already!" He stamped his feet impatiently while his hands were balled up into tight fists. Without further ado, the four Genin presented their entrance forms to the waiting ninja at the door and were instructed to proceed to room 301. As they walked together down the hall and up the stairs, the energy in the building was palpable.

"What do you think the examination will be like?" Sakura wondered aloud.

"I just hope it's not a written test! I hate written tests!" Naruto muttered and crossed his arms with a snort. Ichigo didn't have the heart to tell him that a written test was probably _exactly_ what it would entail.

"I'm sure there are multiple phases to the test," she smiled instead. "Being promoted to Chunin is a big deal! They have to make sure to pass qualified people."

"Whatever it is, it won't stop me. I'm going to pass," Sasuke huffed. Though Ichigo would normally be put off by his enormously insufferable ego, perhaps because of the exciting opportunity she couldn't help but be energized by his confidence. By the looks on Naruto and Sakura's faces, it was clear that they were experiencing a similar feeling.

As they rounded the landing of the stairs and proceeded into the hallway, Ichigo was surprised to see a small crowd gathered outside of the classrooms. As they walked closer, it was clear that there was quite a commotion, as there were many raised voices. She craned her head to investigate, and was able to discern that two individuals were blocking the entrance to the room, arms crossed and cruel sneers on their lips. _They must be trying to whittle down the competition by not letting them into the rooms,_ she reasoned with a disgusted frown. _What poor sportsmanship._ One of the individuals refused entry, a young man with dark hair and a green jumpsuit, approached the two elder boys to make some sort of argument. Ichigo gasped as he was savagely kicked back into the ground, and landed roughly on his behind.

"You really think someone as untalented as _you_ even has a chance? Why bother!" she heard one of them scoff. "You're nothing but a couple of snot-nosed brats!"

"You said it!" his companion laughed haughtily. Curious, the four teammates edged closer, standing on the edge of the crowd and watching the event unfold.

"Please!" one of the girls pleaded, a brunette with her hair tied into a pair of buns. "Let us in!" She stepped forward a few paces, evidently to reach for the door; the small hallway resounded with shocked gasps as one of the thugs viciously struck her across the face with enough force to make her spin around and land beside her unsuccessful teammate.

"That's just cruel, to hit a girl like that!" someone in the crowd sighed.

"Cruel? That's nothing compared to these exams. You misunderstand our intentions. We're just trying to spare you!" Ichigo cocked an eyebrow at the ridiculous notion. "Trust us. We've failed three times. Some people pass, but quit right after… Others end up crippled and permanently disabled… And some people don't make it at all!" A ripple of unease passed through the small crowd, and the fantastical statements made even Ichigo pause to consider the enormity of the challenge they were about to undertake. _It must be true… You don't see people getting promoted to Chunin left and right._

"Even if you _do_ pass, being a Chunin isn't a cakewalk. You hold _every life on your team_ in your hands. It's blood on _your_ hands if they die. You little punks think you're up for something like that? I don't think so," the other one laughed with a lopsided smirk. "We're just weeding out the hopeless, that's all." Ichigo wrinkled her nose in distaste. _The nerve of these two! I've had it!_

"Who are you to decide who's hopeless?" she accused, pointing a finger at them. The crowd parted to allow the pair of thugs a good view of her. She narrowed her eyes and grinned confidently. " _I_ for one think I'm up for the challenge. It won't take _me_ three times! Why don't _you_ hopeless losers take a hike?"

"Well said, Ichigo," Sasuke chuckled next to her and gestured with his head up at the door sign. "Why don't you drop the illusion on your way out? Cheap trick. Only an idiot would fall for something like that. I've got business on the _third_ floor." Confused mutters traveled through the group, indicating there were several such idiots about. The two older boys, however, just stared at Sasuke with bemused looks. Ichigo glanced at the door sign, which read 301. _What? I didn't even notice. So_ _ **this**_ _is why they were all so hell-bent on getting into the door!_

"Well, well, well. You figured it out after all." Sasuke shrugged his shoulders and looked at Sakura.

"It was easy, right, Sakura?" The girl jumped slightly at his sudden address. "You probably noticed it first. You're the most analytical and understand genjutsu the best out of the four of us." The pink-haired kunoichi was stunned for a moment, then slowly smiled happily. _I'll be. He actually noticed, and gave her a compliment!_

"That's right. We're only on the second floor. There's no way that can be Room 301," she reported smugly. Naruto nodded in affirmation, though Ichigo wasn't quite sure he was aware of the genjutsu at all, either. As she spoke, the air in front of the sign swirled and the number shifted to 201, the correct identification for the room.

"Hey, not bad," the boy snorted. "But you know, seeing through that isn't enough!" Without warning, he dropped down to deliver a devastating kick to Sasuke, who immediately reacted with a counterattack in the form of an upper kick. Before their blows could meet, however, an individual dashed between them and grabbed their legs, arms straining as he halted their kicks like it was effortless. It was the same young man who had been so easily tossed aside before. His face was already bruising and a trickle of blood was smudged near his mouth from his busted lip.

"He just stopped _Sasuke's_ kick!" she exclaimed in shock. Sasuke had brute strength, no doubt about that, and it was no small feat to be able to stop a blow of his short. _Not to mention, I didn't even see him move! His speed has to be unreal if he's faster than Sasuke!_ After ensuring that they would no longer squabble, he released their legs; Sasuke stepped back with an unsettled but curious look, while his aggressor landed unsteadily beside his friend. The young man in green, which she now discovered to have a comical bowl haircut and unnaturally thick eyebrows, exhaled with relief. _I'm not one to judge, but this guy is all_ _ **kinds**_ _of weird…_ she thought with a small grimace. _Still, he's powerful…_

"Hey," frowned the other boy who had been standing with the strange ninja, a boy with long brown hair and unique blue eyes, pale and lacking a pupil. "What happened to not drawing attention to ourselves?" _So, the three of them are a team._ The boy with the bowl cut hung his head and fidgeted nervously, and a perplexed look passed over Ichigo's face as he cast anxious looks in Sakura's direction. _Oh, this is not what I think it is._

"Oh, good grief," the girl with the buns muttered as he turned to face the oblivious kunoichi, clenching his fist as if to solidify his nerve. Ichigo noticed that his bruises had vanished as he strode purposefully over to a very confused Sakura.

"My name is Rock Lee," he smiled at her. "You are Sakura, right?" She nodded simply, not quite sure what he wanted with her. With a flourish, he grinned broadly at her and gave her a thumbs-up. "Please be my girlfriend! I promise you, I will protect you with my life!" _**It is what I think it is!**_ Ichigo thought wildly as her hands slapped to her mouth to prevent the burst of laughter from spilling from her mouth. _I gotta give him points for bravery, but oh, my!_

 _What a loser,_ Hotaru snorted inside the seal, wagging his tail as he laughed in a wolfish way. Sakura's mouth dropped open in utter shock, and her face didn't know what emotion it was trying to express; one corner of her mouth was curled up like she was trying to smile, while the other half was trying to scowl, and one of her eyebrows was raised quizzically.

"No way," she answered, and the young man whined loudly as he slumped his shoulders and hung his head miserably. Naruto was laughing like an idiot, completely lacking any sense of consideration as usual. _Aw. I almost feel bad for him,_ she thought and put a hand over her heart as she watched him sulk. _Poor thing has probably been waiting for this day… Still, I can't necessarily blame Sakura for shooting him down like that, either._

 _Don't feel bad for a loser like him,_ Hotaru snorted at her.

"Hey, you!" The four of them turned as Lee's male teammate so boldly called out to Sasuke. "What's your name?"

"Looks like Sasuke's got his attention," she mused and crossed her arms, while Naruto clenched his fist angrily and fumed so fiercely that little fires blazed in his blue eyes. She could hear his teeth grinding together. _Can't blame him. Mr. Uchiha gets all the attention._

 _Show off more,_ her wolf barked.

"It's rude not to give your name first," her teammate asserted. The young man ignored this.

"You're a rookie, right? How old are you?"

"I don't have to tell you that." Sasuke whirled on his heel to begin walking down the hall, sliding his hands into his pockets with a thoughtful look on his face. _He's probably thinking about all the competition!_ She thought with a small smirk. _It certainly is shaping up to be interesting! That creepy Sand guy, Rock Lee, now this rude dude,_ she thought with a sidelong glance at the affronted boy.

"Come on, guys, let's go!" Sakura giggled, running over to grab Ichigo by the hand and pull her along the hallway. Ichigo took Naruto's hand, toting him along as he continued to sulk at his apparent transparency, while Sakura grabbed Sasuke's hand and was delighted when he allowed her to pull him along. They walked up the stairs and out into an open area, glancing around as they looked for the examination room. As they passed through the columns, a voice floated down from the balcony above.

"Hey, you with the attitude! Hold on!" It was Rock Lee again, and he was glaring intently at Sasuke.

"What do you want _now_?" _No wonder he said "you with the attitude."_

"Fight me! Here and now!" he demanded, and Ichigo's eyebrows shot all the way to the roots of her hair.

" _What?"_ she, Sakura, and Naruto screeched in unison.

 _He's out of his mind!_


End file.
